S*0418(Rat #0060, Act #0055 of 2005)  General Bill, By Hayes and Land
 AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 61
 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
 MAY ISSUE ARTS AWARENESS SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES. - ratified title

   02/08/05  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-10
   02/08/05  Senate Referred to Committee on Transportation SJ-10
   03/02/05  Senate Committee report: Favorable Transportation SJ-13
   03/03/05  Senate Amended SJ-34
   03/03/05  Senate Read second time SJ-34
   03/08/05  Senate Reconsidered SJ-21
   03/09/05  Senate Amended SJ-38
   03/09/05  Senate Read second time SJ-38
   03/10/05  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-18
   03/14/05  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-5
   03/14/05  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-6
   04/20/05  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-7
   04/27/05  House  Amended HJ-95
   04/27/05  House  Read second time HJ-96
   04/28/05  House  Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments
   04/28/05         Scrivener's error corrected
   05/03/05  Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
   05/04/05         Ratified R 60
   05/09/05         Signed By Governor
   05/12/05         Copies available
   05/12/05         Effective date 05/09/05
   05/25/05         Act No. 55

(A55, R60, S418)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 61 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES MAY ISSUE ARTS AWARENESS SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES.

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

Arts Awareness special license plates

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

Section 56-3-7200.    (A)    The department may issue Arts Awareness special license plates to owners of private passenger-carrying motor vehicles registered in their names to establish a special fund to be used by the South Carolina Arts Commission for the purpose of funding activities that support a thriving arts environment in South Carolina. The biennial fee for the special license plates is seventy dollars in addition to the regular motor vehicle license plate fee contained in Article 5, Chapter 3 of this title. Each special license plate must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates, must be imprinted with artwork to be selected through a process conducted by the South Carolina Arts Commission, and numbers as the department may determine. Each special license plate must be issued or revalidated for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month the special license plate is issued.

(B)    Of 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 of Motor Vehicles to defray the expenses of the department in producing and administering this special license plate. The remaining funds collected from the special motor vehicle license fee must be deposited in a separate fund for the South Carolina Arts Commission and be used solely to support activities that build a thriving arts environment in South Carolina.

(C)    Before the department produces and distributes the Arts Awareness special license plates pursuant to 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 shall 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 respective license plate, the department shall retain the deposit; and

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

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

Time effective

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

Ratified the 4th day of May, 2005.

Approved the 9th day of May, 2005.