H 3915 General Bill, By J. Young, Barrett, Coates, Harrison, McLeod, Rivers, 
Sandifer and J.E. Smith
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1750, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
 1976, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES AUTHORIZED FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNITED
 STATES MILITARY RESERVE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ONE PLATE MAY BE ISSUED TO AN
 ACTIVE RESERVIST FOR EACH PRIVATE PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTERED IN HIS
 NAME IN THIS STATE PROVIDED THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RESERVIST PLATES ISSUED TO ONE
 PERSON SHALL NOT EXCEED THREE; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1760, RELATING TO THE
 DESIGN OF RESERVIST PLATES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE PLATE MUST BEAR THE
 INSIGNIA AND NAME OF THE BRANCH OF SERVICE OF WHICH THE RESERVIST IS A MEMBER;
 TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1815, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR
 RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND MEMBERS OF THE STATE GUARD, SO AS TO
 DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT CURRENT STOCKS OF CERTAIN PLATES BE EXHAUSTED
 BEFORE THE SPECIAL PLATES MAY BE ISSUED; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1820, AS
 AMENDED, RELATING TO THE DESIGN OF SPECIAL PLATES FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD, SO
 AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT CURRENT STOCKS OF CERTAIN PLATES BE
 EXHAUSTED BEFORE THE SPECIAL PLATES MAY BE ISSUED; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-4310,
 AS AMENDED, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE
 ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES IN THE
 LANGUAGE OF THE SECTION; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-4320, RELATING TO THE
 DESIGN OF RETIRED MILITARY PLATES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE PLATE MUST BEAR
 THE INSIGNIA AND NAME OF THE BRANCH OF SERVICE FROM WHICH THE MEMBER IS
 RETIRED.

   04/10/01  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-33
   04/10/01  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-34

TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1750, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES AUTHORIZED FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES MILITARY RESERVE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT ONE PLATE MAY BE ISSUED TO AN ACTIVE RESERVIST FOR EACH PRIVATE PASSENGER MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTERED IN HIS NAME IN THIS STATE PROVIDED THE TOTAL NUMBER OF RESERVIST PLATES ISSUED TO ONE PERSON SHALL NOT EXCEED THREE; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1760, RELATING TO THE DESIGN OF RESERVIST PLATES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE PLATE MUST BEAR THE INSIGNIA AND NAME OF THE BRANCH OF SERVICE OF WHICH THE RESERVIST IS A MEMBER; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1815, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND MEMBERS OF THE STATE GUARD, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT CURRENT STOCKS OF CERTAIN PLATES BE EXHAUSTED BEFORE THE SPECIAL PLATES MAY BE ISSUED; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-1820, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE DESIGN OF SPECIAL PLATES FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD, SO AS TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT CURRENT STOCKS OF CERTAIN PLATES BE EXHAUSTED BEFORE THE SPECIAL PLATES MAY BE ISSUED; TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-4310, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE SECTION; AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-3-4320, RELATING TO THE DESIGN OF RETIRED MILITARY PLATES, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE PLATE MUST BEAR THE INSIGNIA AND NAME OF THE BRANCH OF SERVICE FROM WHICH THE MEMBER IS RETIRED.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 56-3-1750 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 459 of 1996, is further amended to read:

    "Section 56-3-1750.    The department may issue a special motor vehicle license plate to active members of the United States Air Force Reserve, United States Army Reserve, United States Coast Guard Reserve, United States Marine Corps Reserve, or United States Navy Reserve who are residents of the State for a private passenger motor vehicle registered in their respective names. The biennial fee for the special license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee plus the personalized license plate fee provided by Section 56-3-2020. Only one One plate may be issued to a person. an active reservist for each private passenger motor vehicle registered in his name in this State, provided the total number of reservist plates issued to one person shall not exceed three."

SECTION    2.    Section 56-3-1760 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 164 of 1993, is amended to read:

    "Section 56-3-1760.    The special license plate must be of the same size and general design as regular motor vehicle license plates. The department shall imprint the special license plates with the words "United States Military Reserve" or an abbreviation selected by the department, with numbers the department may determine. The plate shall bear the insignia of the branch of service of which the reservist is a member. Below the branch insignia the department shall imprint the name of the reservist's branch of service, to wit: 'U.S. Army Reserve', 'U.S. Air Force Reserve', 'U.S. Navy Reserve', 'U.S. Marine Corps Reserve', or 'U.S. Coast Guard Reserve'. The license plate must be for a biennial period which expires twenty-four months from the month it is issued."

SECTION    3.    Section 56-3-1815 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 63 of 1999, is further amended to read:

    "Section 56-3-1815.    The department may must issue a special motor vehicle license plate to a retired member of the South Carolina National Guard and may must issue a special motor vehicle license plate to a member of the South Carolina State Guard who is a resident of the State for a private passenger motor vehicle owned or leased by a member or a retiree only after the current stock of South Carolina Guard, National Guard, and South Carolina National Guard Retired license plates is exhausted upon request."

SECTION    4.    Section 56-3-1820 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 63 of 1999, is further amended to read:

    "Section 56-3-1820.    The special license plates must be of the same size and general design of regular motor vehicle license plates upon which must be imprinted the figure of the 'Minute Man"' with numbers, or letters, or both, as determined by the department. The license plate must provide a space on the top of the plate to affix a decal indicating 'National Guard"', 'Retired National Guard"', 'Air National Guard"', or 'State Guard"'. This license plate must be issued only after the current stock of South Carolina State Guard, National Guard, and South Carolina National Guard Retired license plates is exhausted. The biennial fee for the special license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by Article 5 of this chapter. The plates must be issued for biennial periods November first to October thirty-first."

SECTION    5.    Section 56-3-4310 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 459 of 1996, is further amended to read:

    "Section 56-3-4310.    (A)    The department shall issue a special motor vehicle license plate for use on a private passenger motor vehicle owned by any retired member of the United States Armed Forces who is a resident of this State in accordance with the provisions of this section.

    (B)    The annual fee for the special license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee plus the personalized license plate fee provided by Section 56-3-2020, and only one plate may be issued to any person for each vehicle owned by that person, up to a maximum of two vehicles. The revenue from the issuance of plates under this article must be deposited in the manner provided under Section 56-3-2020. The department shall issue the license plate or the revalidation sticker upon receipt of an application made under oath and in the form required by the department.

    (C)    Any person is authorized to use the special license plates provided by this section article if he provides evidence that he is a retired member of one of the branches of the United States Armed Forces designated in Section 56-3-4320."

SECTION    6.    Section 56-3-4320 of the 1976 code, as added by Act 96 of 1991, is amended to read:

    "Section 56-3-4320.    The special license plate must be of the same size and general design as regular motor vehicle license plates. The department shall imprint the special license plates with the words "U.S. Armed Forces, Retired". The plate shall bear the insignia of the branch of service from which the individual retired. Below the branch insignia the department shall imprint the name of the retired member's branch of service followed by a comma and the word 'Retired', to wit: 'U.S. Army, Retired', 'U.S. Air Force, Retired', 'U.S. Navy, Retired', 'U.S. Marine Corps, Retired', or 'U.S. Coast Guard, Retired'."

SECTION    7.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.