H 3391 General Bill, By I.K. Rudnick and F.E. McBride
 A Bill to amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, by adding Article 45
 to Chapter 3, Title 56 so as to provide for special license plates for retired
 members of the General Assembly, including provisions which set an annual fee
 and which make it unlawful knowingly to permit the license plate to be
 displayed on a vehicle other than the one authorized by the Department of
 Highways and Public Transportation.

   01/31/91  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-455
   01/31/91  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-455
   03/19/91  House  Tabled in committee

A BILL

TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 45 TO CHAPTER 3, TITLE 56 SO AS TO PROVIDE FOR SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR RETIRED MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING PROVISIONS WHICH SET AN ANNUAL FEE AND WHICH MAKE IT UNLAWFUL KNOWINGLY TO PERMIT THE LICENSE PLATE TO BE DISPLAYED ON A VEHICLE OTHER THAN THE ONE AUTHORIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

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 45

Section 56-3-4510. The Department of Highways and Public Transportation may issue a special motor vehicle license plate to a retired member of the General Assembly who has a vested interest in the General Assembly Retirement System and who is a resident of the State for a private passenger motor vehicle or truck, having a rated capacity of one ton or less, registered in his name. 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 a person. The revenue from the issuance of plates under this article must be deposited in the manner provided for 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. A retired member of the General Assembly who is issued a license plate under the provisions of this article is not required to reapply so long as he owns the vehicle for which the plate is issued or is authorized pursuant to this article. The provisions of this article do not apply if the retired member applies for a special personalized motor vehicle license plate under the provisions of Section 56-3-2010 or if the person, at the time of making application under this article, is under suspension by either house of the General Assembly, is an expelled member of the General Assembly, or is being prosecuted for or is under sentence imposed by a court of competent jurisdiction for a criminal violation of law committed while he was a member of the General Assembly.

Section 56-3-4520. 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 `South Carolina House, Retired', or `State Senate, Retired', depending upon the house in which the applicant most recently served at the time of making the application, together with numbers which the department may determine to be necessary or expedient. The licensing period for the plate is on an annual basis and expires twelve months from the month it is issued.

Section 56-3-4530. A license plate issued pursuant to this article may be transferred to another vehicle of the same weight class owned by the same person upon application being made and approved by the department. It is unlawful for a person to whom the plate has been issued knowingly to permit it to be displayed on a vehicle except the one authorized by the department.

Section 56-3-4540. The provisions of this article do not affect the registration and licensing of motor vehicles as required by other provisions of this chapter but are cumulative to those other provisions. A person violating the provisions of this article or a person who: (1) fraudulently gives false or fictitious information in an application for a special license plate, as authorized in this article, (2) conceals a material fact, or (3) otherwise commits fraud in the application or in the use of a special license plate issued under this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both."

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