H*4432(Rat #0251, Act #0218 of 2002)  General Bill, By D. Owens, A. Young, 
Altman, Meacham-Richardson, Coates and Campsen
 A BILL TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING, BY ADDING ARTICLE 95 SO
 AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "GOD BLESS AMERICA" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES,
 AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FOR THIS SPECIAL LICENSE
 PLATE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-8100, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE
 PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PORTION OF THE
 FEES COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE MUST BE USED TO
 DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF PRODUCING AND ADMINISTERING THE SPECIAL LICENSE
 PLATE.-amended title

   12/19/01  House  Prefiled
   12/19/01  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
   01/08/02  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-41
   01/08/02  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-41
   02/13/02  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Coates
   03/05/02  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-4
   03/06/02  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Campsen
   03/07/02  House  Amended HJ-18
   03/07/02  House  Read second time HJ-20
   03/07/02  House  Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day HJ-20
   03/08/02  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-2
   03/12/02  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-7
   03/12/02  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-7
   04/02/02  Senate Polled out of committee Transportation SJ-5
   04/02/02  Senate Committee report: Favorable Transportation SJ-5
   04/03/02  Senate Read second time SJ-22
   04/03/02  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-22
   04/04/02  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-19
   04/16/02         Ratified R 251
   04/22/02         Signed By Governor
   05/08/02         Effective date 04/22/02
   05/08/02         Copies available
   05/14/02         Act No. 218

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING, BY ADDING ARTICLE 95 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "GOD BLESS AMERICA" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FEES COLLECTED FOR THIS SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-8100, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION GUIDELINES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A PORTION OF THE FEES COLLECTED FROM THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE MUST BE USED TO DEFRAY THE EXPENSES OF PRODUCING AND ADMINISTERING THE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE.

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

Special license plate created

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

"Article 95

Section 56-3-9500. (A) The department may issue 'God Bless America' special motor vehicle license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles or light pickups having an empty weight of seven thousand pounds or less and a gross weight of nine thousand pounds or less registered in their names. The special license plates must bear the words 'God Bless America', the United States Flag, and the silhouette of the State of South Carolina. Before this special license plate is produced, the department must receive written authorization for the use of any copyrighted words, registered logos, trademarks, or designs that appear on this license plate. The special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title and a special motor vehicle license fee of sixteen dollars.

(B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, from the fees collected pursuant to this section, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the department to defray the expenses of the Division of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special license plates. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be designated for use by the South Carolina National Guard for homeland security.

(C) Before the Department of Public Safety produces and distributes a plate authorized under this section, it must receive:

(1) four hundred or more 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.

(D) If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for a particular special license plate authorized under this section, 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."

Special restricted account

SECTION 2. Section 56-3-8100 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 63 of 1999, is amended by adding at the end:

"(D) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, of the fees collected for the special license plate, the Comptroller General shall place sufficient funds into a special restricted account to be used by the Department of Public Safety to defray the expenses of the Division of Motor Vehicles in producing and administering the special plate."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 16th day of April, 2002.

Approved the 22nd day of April, 2002.