◄ Back to Driving Force, Spring 2014
New Year Brings Slate of Positive Proposals
Not all legislation is intended to negatively impact car and truck enthusiasts. As state lawmakers convene to begin their 2014 legislative sessions, trends indicate that a majority of automotive bills being introduced offer positive opportunities to the SEMA Action Network (SAN) legion. To follow is an overview of a few of these pro-hobby bills:
Delaware Reconstructed Vehicle Emissions: The SAN is supporting legislation to exempt reconstructed vehicles that are more than 25-years old from emissions testing. Under the bill, the vehicle must continue to meet and be inspected for safety and anti-tampering requirements for its model year. The bill was passed by the Delaware House and currently resides in the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Maryland Historic Vehicle/Street Rod Single Plate: The SAN is supporting legislation to require the issuance of only a single license plate for Class L Historic Vehicles and Class N Street Rods. Currently, only Class D Motorcycles, Class F Tractors and Class G Trailers can run a single plate.
New Hampshire Ethanol: The SAN is supporting legislation that prohibits a person from selling or offering for sale gasoline that contains corn-based ethanol as an additive at a level greater than 10%.
New Hampshire Year of Manufacture Plates: The SAN is supporting legislation to expand the range of model year vehicles eligible to use original year-of-manufacture license plates on antique motor vehicles. Currently, only 1960 and earlier model year antique vehicles are eligible to use these plates. Under the bill, eligibility would be expanded to include all 1975 and earlier model years.
New Jersey Single Plate: The SAN is supporting legislation to require the issuance of only a single license plate for motor vehicles. The bill, favored by state hobbyists, requires that the single registration plate be attached on the rear of the vehicle.
New Jersey Street Rods and Custom Vehicles: A version of SEMA model legislation that would create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and replica custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles was reintroduced for 2014. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1948 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. It also allows kit cars and replica vehicles to be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model year designation the body of the vehicle most closely resembles.
Ohio Historic Vehicle Use: The SAN is supporting legislation to amend the state’s current law defining historical motor vehicles to permit use of these vehicles on public roads to and from a location where maintenance is performed. Under current Ohio law, a “historical motor vehicle" is any motor vehicle that is more than twenty-five years old and owned solely as a collector's item and for participation in club activities, exhibitions, tours, parades, and similar uses, but not for general transportation.
Tennessee Antique Vehicle Taxes: The SAN is supporting identical legislation that will allow counties to exempt owners of antique motor vehicles from the privilege tax. The county may also only require a one-time only payment of the tax. According to the state, the average amount of the one-time tax imposed would be $43.10.
Virginia Antique Vehicle Exhaust Systems: The SAN is supporting legislation to allow Virginia’s antique vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket exhaust systems. Currently, all vehicles are required to have exhaust systems of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment. Further, exhaust systems must not emit noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment.
Washington Single Plate: The SAN is supporting legislation to require the issuance of only a single license plate for vehicles that do not include a front mounting bracket as manufactured. The bill would protect the aesthetic contours of certain vehicles and relieve vehicle owners of the burden and expense of having to create mounting holes on some original bumpers.
Washington Collectible Vehicle Emissions: The SAN is supporting legislation to exempt collectible vehicles of any age from emissions testing. The bill defines collectible vehicles as a vehicle of unique or rare design, of limited production, and an object of curiosity that is maintained primarily for use in car club activities, exhibitions, parades, or other functions of public interest or for a private collection, and is used only infrequently for other purposes.
West Virginia Antique Vehicle Taxes: The SAN is supporting reintroduced legislation that would provide owners of antique motor vehicles with an exemption from taxation and fees. West Virginia law defines an "Antique motor vehicle" to mean any motor vehicle which is more than twenty-five years old and is owned solely as a collector's item.
West Virginia Exhaust Noise: The SAN is supporting reintroduced legislation that would allow West Virginia’s vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket modified exhaust systems that meet a 95-decibel limit. Current West Virginia law only allows a muffler originally installed by the manufacturer or an equivalent. The bill would remove subjective provisions in the law and force compliance with an objectively measured standard. Under the standard, exhaust noise could not exceed a sound reading of 95-decibels under a fair and predictable test.
West Virginia Property Taxes: The SAN is supporting Senate legislation to exempt motor vehicles, including automobiles, motorcycles, airplanes, trucks and tractors that are older than twenty-five years from personal property taxes. Under the bill, these automobiles and motorcycles would need to display valid current antique licenses and could not be used for daily transportation.
West Virginia Remote Starters: The SAN is supporting legislation that would provide that a motor vehicle that has been started by use of a remote starter when the vehicle is locked is not an unattended vehicle and not in violation of the law. Under current law, no person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle may permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key, and effectively setting the brake.
West Virginia Collector Vehicle Plates: The SAN is supporting legislation to provide for the issuance of special plates for use on collector vehicles and allow for the transfer of the special plates temporarily between the collector motor vehicles owned by the collector. Delegate Gary Howell, the sponsor of the bill, indicates that most cars 25-years old and older will qualify for the collector plates.
For the complete list of Legislative Action Alerts, visit semaSAN.com/Alerts.