California Bill to Extend New Car Emissions Test Exemption Approved by Legislature; Moves to Governor

DON’T DELAY!  Please Contact Governor Jerry Brown Immediately to Request Support for A.B. 1274 by emailing now:

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, if enacted into law, would become effective on January 1, 2019.  

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 Assembly and Senate and sent to the governor for his signature and enactment into law.  Under the bill, the newly exempted motor vehicles (model years 7 and 8) would be subject to an annual smog abatement fee of $25.