H 3285 General Bill, By Altman
 A BILL TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 41
 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "CHOOSE DEATH"
 SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

   01/14/03  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-112
   01/14/03  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-112

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 41 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "CHOOSE DEATH" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

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 41

Section 56-3-4100.    (A)    The Department of Public Safety shall issue 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 which shall have imprinted on the plate the words 'Choose Death'. The fee for this special license plate is the regular motor vehicle license fee set forth in Article 5. This special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates. The special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issues.

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

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

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