South Carolina General Assembly
113th Session, 1999-2000

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Bill 4784


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Bill Number:                      4784
Type of Legislation:              General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                 House
Introduced Date:                  20000316
Primary Sponsor:                  Harvin
All Sponsors:                     Harvin, J. Hines, Hosey, Littlejohn and 
                                  Martin
Drafted Document Number:          l:\council\bills\dka\3755mm00.doc
Residing Body:                    House
Current Committee:                Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee 26 
                                  HLCI
Subject:                          Tires, regrooved and regroovable; 
                                  regulation of sale of; Motor Vehicles, 
                                  Businesses and Corporations


                        History

Body    Date      Action Description                     Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  ______________________________________ _______ ____________
House   20000316  Introduced, read first time,           26 HLCI
                  referred to Committee


              Versions of This Bill

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND TITLE 39, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO TRADE AND COMMERCE, BY ADDING CHAPTER 75 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE REGULATION OF THE SALE OF REGROOVED AND REGROOVABLE TIRES, AND TO INCLUDE A CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR A VIOLATION OF SPECIFIED PROVISIONS.

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

SECTION 1. Title 39 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"CHAPTER 75

Regrooved and Regroovable Tires

Section 39-75-10. As used in this chapter, the term:

(1) 'Regroovable tire' means a tire, either original tread or retread, designed and constructed with sufficient tread material to permit renewal of the tread pattern or the generation of a new tread pattern in a manner which conforms to this chapter.

(2) 'Regrooved tire' means a tire, either original tread or retread, on which the tread pattern has been renewed or a new tread has been produced by cutting into the tread of a worn tire to a depth equal to or deeper than the molded original groove depth.

Section 39-75-20. (A) Except as permitted in subsection (B) of this section, a person shall not sell, offer for sale, or introduce or deliver for introduction into commerce regrooved tires produced by removing rubber from the surface of a worn tire tread to generate a new tread pattern. A person who regrooves tires and leases them to owners or operators of motor vehicles and a person who regrooves his own tires for use on motor vehicles is considered to be a person delivering for introduction into commerce within the meaning of this section.

(B) A regrooved tire may be sold, offered for sale, or introduced for sale or delivered for introduction into commerce only if it conforms to each of the following requirements:

(1) The tire being regrooved is a regroovable tire.

(2) After regrooving, cord material below the grooves must have a protective covering of tread material at least 3/32-inch thick.

(3) After regrooving, the new grooves generated into the tread material and residual original molded tread groove which is at or below the new regrooved depth must have a minimum of ninety linear inches of tread edges for each linear foot of the circumference.

(4) After regrooving, the new groove width generated into the tread material must be a minimum of 3/16-inch and a maximum of 5/16-inch.

(5) After regrooving, all new grooves cut into the tread must provide unobstructed fluid escape passages.

(6) After regrooving, the tire must not contain any of the following defects, as determined by a visual examination of the tire either mounted on the rim or dismounted:

(a) cracking which extends to the fabric;

(b) groove cracks or wear extending to the fabric; or

(c) evidence of ply, tread, or sidewall separation.

(7) If the tire is siped by cutting the tread surface without removing rubber, the tire cord material may not be damaged as a result of the siping process, and a sipe may not be deeper than the original or retread groove depth.

(C) A person shall not sell, offer for sale, or introduce for sale or deliver for introduction into commerce a regroovable tire that has been siped by cutting the tread surface without removing rubber if the tire cord material is damaged as a result of the siping process, or if the tire is siped deeper than the original or retread groove depth.

Section 39-75-30. A tire designed and constructed for regrooving must be labeled on both sidewalls with the word 'REGROOVABLE' molded on or into the tire in raised or recessed letters 0.025 to 0.040 inch. The word 'REGROOVABLE' must be in letters 0.38 to 0.50 inch in height and not less than four inches and not more than six inches in length. The lettering must be located in the sidewall of the tire between the maximum section width and the bead in an area which may not be obstructed by the rim flange.

Section 39-75-40. A person who knowingly sells, offers for sale, or delivers for introduction in this State regrooved tires that do not comply with this chapter is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than five thousand dollars nor more than than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned for not less than five years, or both."

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

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