S*0620(Rat #0059, Act #0051 of 2013)  General Bill, By Verdin
 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-2335, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LICENSE PLATES, SO
 AS TO INCLUDE THE MANUFACTURE AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSMISSIONS IN
 THIS STATE AS A PART OF THE DEFINITION OF THE TERM "RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
 BUSINESS", TO INCLUDE A PERSON OR COMPANY IN THE BUSINESS OF OPERATING A GROUP
 OF VEHICLES DRIVEN BY THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING AND
 EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS'
 TRANSMISSIONS AS A PART OF THE DEFINITION OF THE TERM "CONTRACTED FLEET
 OWNER", TO DEFINE THE TERM "TRANSMISSIONS", TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF
 MOTOR VEHICLES MAY ISSUE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LICENSE PLATES FOR THE
 PURPOSE OF TESTING AND EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A RESEARCH AND
 DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS ON A MOTOR VEHICLE, TO PROVIDE THAT THE
 DEPARTMENT MAY ENTER INTO RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER STATES CONCERNING
 THE REGISTRATION AND OPERATION OF VEHICLES OWNED BY A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
 BUSINESS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING AND EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE
 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS
 THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS OR CONTRACTED
 FLEET OWNER TO TAKE ANY OTHER ACTIONS REQUIRED BY ANOTHER STATE THAT ARE
 NECESSARY FOR THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS OR CONTRACTED FLEET OWNER,
 TO LEGALLY TEST AND EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
 BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS IN THAT STATE. - ratified title

   04/16/13  Senate Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 10)
   04/16/13  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 10)
   04/17/13  Senate Committee report: Favorable Transportation
                     (Senate Journal-page 14)
   04/18/13  Senate Read second time (Senate Journal-page 19)
   04/18/13  Senate Roll call Ayes-43  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 19)
   04/18/13         Scrivener's error corrected
   04/23/13  Senate Read third time and sent to House
                     (Senate Journal-page 26)
   04/23/13  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 114)
   04/23/13  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 114)
   05/22/13  House  Committee report: Favorable Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 3)
   05/28/13  House  Read second time (House Journal-page 13)
   05/28/13  House  Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 14)
   05/29/13  House  Read third time and enrolled (House Journal-page 7)
   06/04/13         Ratified R 59
   06/07/13         Signed By Governor
   06/18/13         Effective date 06/07/13
   06/18/13         Act No. 51

(A51, R59, S620)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-2335, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LICENSE PLATES, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE MANUFACTURE AND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSMISSIONS IN THIS STATE AS A PART OF THE DEFINITION OF THE TERM "RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS", TO INCLUDE A PERSON OR COMPANY IN THE BUSINESS OF OPERATING A GROUP OF VEHICLES DRIVEN BY THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING AND EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS AS A PART OF THE DEFINITION OF THE TERM "CONTRACTED FLEET OWNER", TO DEFINE THE TERM "TRANSMISSIONS", TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES MAY ISSUE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LICENSE PLATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING AND EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS ON A MOTOR VEHICLE, TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT MAY ENTER INTO RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS WITH OTHER STATES CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION AND OPERATION OF VEHICLES OWNED BY A RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TESTING AND EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS OR CONTRACTED FLEET OWNER TO TAKE ANY OTHER ACTIONS REQUIRED BY ANOTHER STATE THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS OR CONTRACTED FLEET OWNER, TO LEGALLY TEST AND EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS' TRANSMISSIONS IN THAT STATE.

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

Research and development license plates

SECTION    1.    Section 56-3-2335 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 15 of 2011, is further amended to read:

"Section 56-3-2335.    (A)    As used in this section:

(1)    'Research and development business' or 'business' means a person who manufacturers tires or transmissions in this State for use as original or replacement equipment on motor vehicles and who conducts research and development activities on tires or transmissions in conjunction with the person's manufacturing activities in South Carolina.

(2)    'Contracted fleet owner' or 'contractor' means a person or company in the business of operating a group of vehicles driven by their employees for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of a research and development business' tires or transmissions.

(3)    'Tires' includes tires and tire replacement parts.

(4)    'Transmissions' includes transmissions and transmission parts.

(B)(1)    Upon application and payment of the required fee, the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue research and development license plates to a research and development business. The license plates must be used exclusively on motor vehicles, including motorcycles, provided by a motor vehicle manufacturer to the research and development business for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions on the motor vehicle.

(2)    Application for research and development license plates must be made by the research and development business on a form prescribed by the department and submitted with proof of the applicant's status as a bona fide research and development business. The cost of each research and development license plate issued is two hundred dollars, of which one hundred sixty dollars must be remitted by the department to the county in which the testing facility of the business is located. Each plate is valid for two years. A maximum of one hundred research and development license plates may be issued for the two-year period.

(C)(1)    Upon application and payment of the required fee, the Department of Motor Vehicles may issue fleet research and development plates to a research and development business or to a contracted fleet owner. The license plates will be registered to a specific vehicle owned by the research and development business, or owned by a contracted fleet owner under contract with the research and development business.

(2)    Application for fleet research and development license plates must be made by the contractor on a form prescribed by the department and submitted with certification from the research and development business establishing the applicant's status as a bona fide contracted fleet owner under contract with the research and development business. The cost of each fleet research and development license plate is two hundred dollars, of which one hundred sixty dollars must be remitted by the department to the county in which the vehicle is sited, as evidenced by the address on the registration card. Each plate is valid for two years. A maximum of one hundred fleet research and development license plates may be issued to a contracted fleet owner for the two-year period.

(D)    Vehicles with research and development plates or fleet research and development plates may be operated on the state's streets and highways or another state's streets and highways pursuant to a reciprocity agreement with that state. The vehicles may be operated pursuant to this section only for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions on the motor vehicle.

(E)    The Department of Motor Vehicles may enter into reciprocal agreements with other states concerning the registration and operation of vehicles owned by a research and development business, provided to the research and development business by a contractor under contract with the research and development business, or provided by a motor vehicle manufacturer to the research and development business for the purpose of testing and evaluating the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions.

(F)    It is the sole responsibility of the research and development business, or contracted fleet owner, to take any other actions required by another state that are necessary for the research and development business, or contracted fleet owner, to legally test and evaluate the performance of the research and development business' tires or transmissions in that state. The research and development business must comply with any other requirements associated with the operation of the vehicle on the other state's roads and highways."

Time effective

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

Ratified the 4th day of June, 2013.

Approved the 7th day of June, 2013.