California Bill to Extend New Car Emissions Test Exemption Passes Assembly; Moves to Senate

 

DON’T DELAY!  Please Contact Senate Transportation and Housing Committee Members (Contact Information Below) Immediately to Request Support for A.B. 1274

 

You may use the following points in your message:

  • A.B. 1274 acknowledges the relatively minimal environmental impact of the new vehicles targeted for this exemption.  The vast majority of newer light-duty vehicles are equipped with cleaner technologies that typically pass smog check after six years.
     
  • A.B. 1274 acknowledges that it is senseless to test newer vehicles, the results of which demonstrate no significant air quality benefits.   The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emission reductions.  This strategy builds support for emission inspection programs, but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air.
     
  • A.B. 1274 recognizes that in years 7 and 8, a vehicle owner will ultimately save money over what they would have spent to complete a smog check. Given that the average smog test costs between $29 and $69, vehicle owners can expect to save up to $45 per vehicle for each year of the exemption. 
     
  • A.B. 1274, if enacted into law, would become effective on January 1, 2018.  

Overview: Legislation (A.B. 1274) to extend the emissions inspection exemption for new cars from 6 to 8 model years has been approved by the California Assembly.  Under the bill,  the newly exempted motor vehicles (model years 7 and 8) would be subject to an annual smog abatement fee of $24.  The bill has now been referred to the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee for consideration.