South Carolina General Assembly
119th Session, 2011-2012

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A185, R230, H3478

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Young, D.C. Moss, Gambrell, Agnew, Bowen, H.B. Brown, Clyburn, Spires, Frye, Bingham, Cobb-Hunter, Hardwick, Hayes, Herbkersman, Hixon, Horne, Hosey, Lucas, McEachern, Ott, Quinn, G.R. Smith, J.R. Smith, Taylor, Umphlett and White
Document Path: l:\council\bills\bbm\9954htc11.docx

Introduced in the House on January 27, 2011
Introduced in the Senate on March 8, 2011
Last Amended on April 24, 2012
Passed by the General Assembly on May 23, 2012
Governor's Action: June 7, 2012, Signed

Summary: Sale of petroleum products and diesel fuel

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/27/2011  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 10)
   1/27/2011  House   Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources 
                        and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 11)
    3/2/2011  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Agriculture, 
                        Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs 
                        (House Journal-page 1)
    3/3/2011  House   Amended (House Journal-page 22)
    3/3/2011  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 22)
    3/3/2011  House   Unanimous consent for third reading on next legislative 
                        day (House Journal-page 24)
    3/3/2011          Scrivener's error corrected
    3/4/2011  House   Read third time and sent to Senate (House Journal-page 1)
    3/8/2011  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 32)
    3/8/2011  Senate  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry 
                        (Senate Journal-page 32)
   4/17/2012  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, 
                        Commerce and Industry (Senate Journal-page 9)
   4/18/2012          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/24/2012  Senate  Committee Amendment Adopted (Senate Journal-page 48)
   4/24/2012  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 48)
   4/24/2012  Senate  Roll call Ayes-35  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 48)
   4/25/2012          Scrivener's error corrected
   5/15/2012  Senate  Returned to House with amendments 
                        (Senate Journal-page 10)
   5/22/2012  House   Debate adjourned until Wed., 05-23-12 
                        (House Journal-page 17)
   5/23/2012  House   Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled 
                        (House Journal-page 33)
   5/23/2012  House   Roll call Yeas-106  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 33)
    6/5/2012          Ratified R 230
    6/7/2012          Signed By Governor
   6/18/2012          Effective date 06/07/12
   6/18/2012          Act No. 185

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/27/2011
3/2/2011
3/3/2011
3/3/2011-A
4/17/2012
4/18/2012
4/24/2012
4/25/2012


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

(A185, R230, H3478)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 39-41-235, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND DIESEL FUEL SUITABLE FOR BLENDING, SALE OF UNBLENDED PRODUCTS WITHOUT NECESSARY ADDITIVES, RECORDKEEPING AND REGISTRATION, ENFORCEMENT, WHOLESALER RESPONSIBILITY, LIABILITY, AND NOTICE, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THESE REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO EVERY TERMINAL OPERATOR, SUPPLIER, PERMISSIVE SUPPLIER, REFINER, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INVOLVED IN THE BULK TRANSFER OF MOTOR FUEL, TO PROVIDE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS DO NOT APPLY BECAUSE OF SPECIFIED HINDRANCES TO COMPLIANCE, AND TO PROVIDE THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES LIMITING THE LIABILITY OF A REFINER, SUPPLIER, WHOLESALER, OR RETAILER FOR THE DISPENSING OF INCOMPATIBLE MOTOR FUEL AT A RETAIL SITE.

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

Sale of petroleum products

SECTION    1.    Subsections (A), (B), (C), (F), and (G) of Section 39-41-235 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 147 of 2010, are amended to read:

"(A)    Regardless of other products offered, every terminal, as defined in Section 12-28-110(56), located within the State, every terminal operator as defined in Section 12-28-110(58), must offer for sale all grades of petroleum products that are not already preblended with ethanol and that are suitable for subsequent blending of the product with ethanol. Every supplier as defined in Section 12-28-110(53), permissive supplier as defined in Section 12-28-110(43), refiner as defined in Section 12-28-110(49), or any other person or entity who is involved in the bulk transfer of motor fuel as defined in Section 12-28-110(8) are responsible for ensuring that every terminal located in this State and every terminal operator are delivered the products set forth in this section.

(B)    Regardless of other products offered, every terminal, as defined in Section 12-28-110(56), located within the State, every terminal operator as defined in Section 12-28-110(58), must offer for sale all grades of diesel fuel that are not already preblended to produce biodiesel or a biodiesel blend and that are suitable for subsequent blending to produce biodiesel or biodiesel blends. Every supplier as defined in Section 12-28-110(53), permissive supplier as defined in Section 12-28-110(43), refiner as defined in Section 12-28-110(49), or any other person or entity who is involved in the bulk transfer of motor fuel as defined in Section 12-28-110(8) are responsible for ensuring that every terminal located in this State and terminal operator in this State are delivered the products set forth in this section.

(C)    A terminal or terminal operator shall not offer for sale an unblended product that omits any additive found in a product preblended with ethanol. A terminal or terminal operator shall not offer for sale an unblended product that does not contain a comparable amount of any additive found in a product preblended with ethanol. Every supplier, permissive supplier, refiner, or any other person or entity who is involved in the bulk transfer of motor fuel are responsible for ensuring that the products set forth in this statute are delivered to every terminal and every terminal operator located in this State with which they have a contract.

(F)    A violation of this article is deemed an unfair trade practice, and each violation is a separate offense. A person or entity violating the provisions of this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars for each violation. It shall not be a violation of this article when compliance is hindered by any catastrophic event outside the control of the person or entity such as a natural disaster, severe weather event, act of God, or acts of terrorism, fire, war, or riot.

(G)    Wholesalers purchasing gasoline, gasoline blending stock, or diesel are responsible for ensuring that their activities result in gasolines and diesels that meet the standards promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture. Refiners, suppliers, and permissive suppliers shall not be liable for fines, penalties, injuries, or damages arising out of the subsequent blending of gasoline, gasoline blending stock, or diesel pursuant to this section. An entity that does not blend the product at issue has no duty with respect to blending and shall not be liable for fines, penalties, injuries, or damages arising out of blending that does not meet those standards. A refiner, supplier, wholesaler, or retailer is not liable for damages caused by the use of incompatible motor fuel dispensed at a retail site if all of the following applies:

(1)    the incompatible fuel meets the standards promulgated by the Commissioner of Agriculture;

(2)    the incompatible fuel is selected by a person other than the retailer, including an employee or agent of the retailer; and

(3)    the incompatible fuel is dispensed from a motor fuel dispenser that correctly labels the type of fuel dispensed.

For the purposes of this subsection, a motor fuel is incompatible with a motor according to the manufacturer of the motor."

Severability clause

SECTION    2.    If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this act is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining portions of this act, the General Assembly hereby declaring that it would have passed this act, and each and every section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences, clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.

Saving clause

SECTION    3.    The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.

Time effective

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval of the Governor.

Ratified the 5th day of June, 2012.

Approved the 7th day of June, 2012.

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This web page was last updated on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 10:18 A.M.