South Carolina General Assembly
116th Session, 2005-2006

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Bill 3382


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


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

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF MOTOR VEHICLES, BY ADDING ARTICLES 79 AND 80, SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF "CHOOSE LIFE" SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES AND "CHOOSE ABORTION" 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 79

'Choose Life' Special License Plates

Section 56-3-7950.    (A)    The Department of Motor Vehicles 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 Life'. The fee for this special license plate is seventy-five dollars every two years in addition to 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 issued.

(B)    The fees collected pursuant to this section, after the costs to produce and administer the distribution of this special license plate, must be deposited in a special account, separate and apart from the general fund, designated for use by the Department of Health and Environmental Control to be used to support research for the prevention and cure of breast cancer.

(C)    Before the Department of Motor Vehicles 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.

(D)    If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for the 'Choose Life' 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.    Chapter 3, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 80

'Choose Abortion' Special License Plates

Section 56-3-7970.    (A)    The Department of Motor Vehicles 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 Abortion'. The fee for this special license plate is seventy-five dollars every two years in addition to 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 issued.

(B)    The fees collected pursuant to this section, after the costs to produce and administer the distribution of this special license plate, must be deposited in a special account, separate and apart from the general fund, designated for use by the Department of Health and Environmental Control to be used to support research for the prevention and cure of breast cancer.

(C)    Before the Department of Motor Vehicles 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.

(D)    If the department receives less than three hundred biennial applications and renewals for the 'Choose Abortion' 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    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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