COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 31, 2016) — A model used tire bill backed by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has stalled in the South Carolina Senate despite having passed the state House of Representatives last year.
South Carolina House Bill 3430 would make it illegal to sell or install an “unsafe” used tire on a car or light truck.
H 3430 defines an unsafe used tire as:
- A tire with 2/32 inch tread depth or less;
- A tire with cuts, cracks, bulges, punctures, scrapes or other damage exposing the reinforcing plies of the tire;
- A tire with an improper repair, including a repair to the shoulder, belt edge, sidewall or bead area, a repair more than ¼ inch in size, or one not sealed with a patch and repaired with a cured rubber stem;
- A tire with evidence of use of a temporary sealant without further evidence of a subsequent proper repair;
- A tire with inner liner or bead damage;
- A tire with a defaced Department of Transportation identification number; or
- A tire named in a federal recall.
The bill passed the South Carolina House April 30, 2015, by a 74-28 vote. It then carried over for Senate debate in 2016. However, State Sen. Vincent Shaheen, D-Camden, placed a hold on the bill on the Senate floor in May 2016.
RMA President and CEO Anne Forristall Luke said in a May 12 interview that the association is trying to address Sen. Shaheen's concerns.
“His concern is for small business, and that small businesses might not be able to do tire repairs,” Ms. Luke said. “We need to convince him that just plugging a tire is not enough.”
The current session of the South Carolina legislature adjourns June 2.