S 1237 {Rat #244, Act #216 of 2022} General Bill, By McLeod, Matthews, Shealy, 
Senn, Gustafson and Malloy
 AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 142, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH
 CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF "UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 2017
 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES BY THE
 DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, SO AS TO ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF
 "UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 2022 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS"
 SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES BY THE DEPARTMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14970,
 RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF CERTAIN MILITARY SERVICE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES,
 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "US SPACE FORCE" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES;
 TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14940, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SERVICE-CONNECTED
 DISABILITY SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO EXEMPT THESE LICENSE PLATES FROM
 THE REGULAR MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE, AND PROVIDE FOR REFUNDS OF CERTAIN
 REGISTRATION FEES; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14960, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF
 MERITORIOUS SERVICE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE
 OF "MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; TO AMEND SECTION
 56-3-14980, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES SHOWING SUPPORT
 FOR MILITARY-RELATED PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE
 OF "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14990,
 RELATING TO SURVIVING SPOUSES OBTAINING CERTAIN SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES ISSUED
 TO THEIR DECEASED SPOUSES, SO AS TO REVISE THE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES SUBJECT
 TO THIS PROVISION; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-15000, RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES
 ISSUED UNDER PREVIOUS AWARD CRITERIA, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES; AND TO
 REPEAL ARTICLE 20, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES
 ISSUED TO MEMBERS OF FOREIGN CONSULATES. - ratified title

   04/05/22  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 8)
   04/05/22  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 8)
   04/06/22  Senate Recalled from Committee on Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 3)
   04/06/22  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 3)
   04/07/22  Senate Amended (Senate Journal-page 48)
   04/07/22  Senate Read third time and sent to House
                     (Senate Journal-page 48)
   04/07/22  Senate Roll call Ayes-42  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 48)
   04/08/22         Scrivener's error corrected
   04/19/22  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 213)
   04/19/22  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 213)
   05/04/22  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works (House Journal-page 7)
   05/05/22  House  Debate adjourned (House Journal-page 93)
   05/10/22  House  Amended (House Journal-page 207)
   05/10/22  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 207)
   05/10/22  House  Roll call Yeas-108  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 214)
   05/11/22  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with
                     amendments (House Journal-page 7)
   05/12/22  Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
                     (Senate Journal-page 95)
   05/18/22         Ratified R  244
   05/23/22         Signed By Governor
   06/01/22         Effective date  See Act for Effective Date
   06/01/22         Act No.  216

(A216, R244, S1237)

AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 142, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF "UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 2017 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, SO AS TO ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA 2022 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES BY THE DEPARTMENT; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14970, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF CERTAIN MILITARY SERVICE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "US SPACE FORCE" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14940, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO EXEMPT THESE LICENSE PLATES FROM THE REGULAR MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE, AND PROVIDE FOR REFUNDS OF CERTAIN REGISTRATION FEES; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14960, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF MERITORIOUS SERVICE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14980, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES SHOWING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY-RELATED PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-14990, RELATING TO SURVIVING SPOUSES OBTAINING CERTAIN SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES ISSUED TO THEIR DECEASED SPOUSES, SO AS TO REVISE THE SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES SUBJECT TO THIS PROVISION; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-15000, RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES ISSUED UNDER PREVIOUS AWARD CRITERIA, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES; AND TO REPEAL ARTICLE 20, CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES ISSUED TO MEMBERS OF FOREIGN CONSULATES.

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

University of South Carolina Women's Basketball National Champions special license plates

SECTION    1.    Article 142, Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

Section 56-3-14210.    (A)(1)    The Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue 'University of South Carolina 2017 and 2022 Women's Basketball National Champions' special license plates to owners of private passenger motor vehicles, as defined in Section 56-3-630, or motorcycles as defined in Section 56-3-20, registered in their names.

(B)    The University of South Carolina may submit to the department for its approval the emblem, seal, or other symbol it desires to be used for its respective special license plate.

(C)    The requirements for production, collection, and distribution of fees for the plate are those set forth in Section 56-3-8100. The biennial fee for this plate is the regular registration fee set forth in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title plus an additional fee of seventy dollars. Any portion of the additional seventy-dollar fee not set aside to defray costs of production and distribution must be distributed to the fund established for the University of South Carolina pursuant to Section 56-3-3710(B) used for the purposes provided in that section.

(D)    License number '1' for the 'University of South Carolina 2017 and 2022 Women's Basketball National Champions' license plates are reserved for the University of South Carolina Women's Basketball Coach.

(E)    The department must issue to registrants who have a license plate commemorating only the 2017 Women's Basketball National Championship the license plate commemorating both the 2017 and 2022 national championship once the 2017 license plate reaches the end of its ten-year lifecycle. This subsection does not apply to registrants who choose to switch to the '2017 and 2022' license plate on their own."

US Space Force special license plates

SECTION    2.    Section 56-3-14970(A) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 38 of 2021, is amended to read:

"(A)    The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of military service for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members associated with the following military components or designations:

(1)    Veteran or Veteran wheelchair if the registrant qualifies for handicapped parking pursuant to Section 56-3-1910(H)

(2)    Female Veteran or Female Veteran wheelchair if the registrant qualifies for handicapped parking pursuant to Section 56-3-1910(H)

(3)    Combat-Related Disabled Veteran - the registrant must have a combat-related disability as evidenced by a letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs defining a combat and operations-related disability

(4)    Army

(5)    Marine Corps

(6)    Navy

(7)    Air Force

(8)    Coast Guard

(9)    US Space Force

(10)    National Guard- Army

(11)    National Guard- Air

(12)    National Guard- Retired

(13)    US Military Reserve- Army

(14)    US Military Reserve- Marine Corps

(15)    US Military Reserve- Navy

(16)    US Military Reserve- Air Force

(17)    US Military Reserve- Coast Guard

(18)    US Armed Forces Retired

(19)    State Guard."

Service connected disability special license plates

SECTION    3.    Section 56-3-14940(B) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 38 of 2021, is amended to read:

"(B)    The qualifying service member or veteran must be one of the registrants of the vehicle. No more than three license plates may be issued to the award recipient. License plates for medals specified in subsection (A) are exempt from the regular motor vehicle registration fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3, Title 56. These special license plates must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month they are issued. Any registration fees collected pursuant to this section from May 6, 2022, to the effective date of this act shall be refunded by the Department of Motor Vehicles."

Meritorious service special license plates

SECTION    4.    Section 56-3-14960(A) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 38 of 2021, is amended to read:

"(A)    The department may issue the following special license plates reflective of meritorious service for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to active or prior service members who received the following awards:

(1)    Air Medal

(2)    Bronze Star (service)

(3)    Meritorious Service Medal."

Military related private organizations special license plates

SECTION    5.    Section 56-3-14980(A) of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 38 of 2021, is amended to read:

"(A)    The department may issue the following types of special license plates showing support for military-related private organizations for private passenger vehicles and motorcycles to members of the general public that will financially benefit the following organizations:

(1)    Blue Star Family

(2)    Veterans of Foreign Wars

(3)    American Legion

(4)    Disabled American Veterans

(5)    American Veterans

(6)    Marine Corps League

(7)    Chief Petty Officer

(8)    Support Our Troops."

Surviving spouses

SECTION    6.    Section 56-3-14990 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 38 of 2021, is amended to read:

"Section 56-3-14990.    Upon the death of an award recipient, a surviving spouse may apply to the department for a license plate issued under the provisions of Section 56-3-14910, 56-3-14920, or 56-3-14930(A)(3). The surviving spouse may apply to the department to transfer a license plate previously issued to the award recipient under the provisions of Section 56-3-14910, 56-3-14920, or 56-3-14930(A)(3) pursuant to Section 56-3-210(G). The surviving spouse must turn the plate into the department when the surviving spouse is no longer eligible for surviving spouse military benefits."

License plates

SECTION    7.    Section 56-3-15000 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 38 of 2021, is amended to read:

"Section 56-3-15000.    License plates first issued to registrants under previous requirements are not subject to the revised requirements that a person must meet to apply for a plate specified in this article."

Repeal

SECTION    8.    Article 20, Chapter 3, Title 56 is repealed.

Time effective

SECTION    9.    SECTION 1 of this act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. SECTIONS 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of this act take effect May 6, 2022.

Ratified the 18th day of May, 2022.

Approved the 23rd day of May, 2022.