H 3782 General Bill, By Miller
 A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MOTOR VEHICLES, BY ADDING ARTICLE 87
 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR ANIMAL ABUSE PREVENTION SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND TO
 PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF THIS
 SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE.

   03/22/01  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-4
   03/22/01  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-5

TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MOTOR VEHICLES, BY ADDING ARTICLE 87 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR ANIMAL ABUSE PREVENTION SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF THIS SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Chapter 3, Title 56, of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 87

    Section 56-3-8600.    (A)    The Department of Public Safety may issue 'Animal Abuse Prevention' special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private motor vehicles registered in their names. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and the special fee required by Section 56-3-2020, both of which must be deposited in the state general fund.

    (B)    Before the Department of Public Safety produces and distributes a special license plate pursuant to this section, it must receive:

        (1)    four hundred prepaid applications for the special license plate or a deposit of four thousand dollars from the individual or organization seeking issuance of the license plate. If a deposit of four thousand dollars is made by an individual or organization pursuant to this section, the department must refund the four thousand dollars once an equivalent amount of license plate fees is collected for that organization's license plate. If the equivalent amount is not collected within four years of the first issuance of the license plate, then the department must retain the deposit; and

        (2)    a plan to market the sale of the special license plate that must be approved by the department.

    (C)    If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate, it shall not produce additional special license plates in that series. The department shall continue to issue special license plates of that series until the existing inventory is exhausted.

    (D)    Fifty percent of the fees collected pursuant to this section must be distributed equally to animal shelters in each county."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.