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Not Blowing Smoke
Masses Voice Support for California Bill to Exempt Pre-1981 Vehicles from Emission Inspections
Groups like the SEMA Action Network (SAN) are most successful when the members respond to opportunities in large numbers with great passion. United groups achieve maximum results. Lately, a large movement of auto enthusiasts have created quite a groundswell in the Golden State by banding together for a common goal.
Many of you will recall that in 2004, legislation was enacted into law to repeal California’s rolling emissions-test exemption for vehicles 30 years old and older and replace it with a law requiring the lifetime testing of all 1976 and newer model-year vehicles. The auto hobby had been warned that the rolling 30-year exemption was in the cross hairs. In 2003, legislation was introduced that threatened to repeal the state’s emissions exemption and replace it with an exemption only for those vehicles that were 45 or more model years old. Thankfully, California hobbyists working with the SAN derailed that effort and replaced it with an alternative bill that only forced “smoking” vehicles that were already required to participate in the Smog Check program into an out-of-cycle emissions test.
This type of legislation is part of the state’s continued strategy to address failed efforts to meet air quality goals, while targeting old cars as convenient scapegoats. Regulators have conveniently used skewed data and inflated annual mileage assumptions to further their case. We had hoped that over time, lawmakers would finally realize that antique and classic vehicles that benefit from old car emissions exemptions are overwhelmingly well-maintained and infrequently driven. Further, these collector vehicles constitute an increasingly tiny portion of the overall vehicle population and are a poor source from which to look for emissions reductions. Forcing these vehicles back into the Smog Check program represents flawed environmental policy and creates no real benefit to the quality of the air breathed by state residents.
At least one lawmaker was listening. This year, Mustang enthusiast and California State Senator Doug LaMalfa introduced a bill to exempt all motor vehicles prior to the 1981 model year from the emissions inspection requirement. Simply put, Senate Bill 1224 seeks to recover some of the ground that was lost in 2004. Already, hundreds (if not thousands) of Californians have responded to the call in support of the measure.
California State Senator Doug LaMalfa beside his ’68 Mustang.
“S.B. 1224 would provide an exemption for only one-half of one percent of California vehicles on the road today. Hardly an overwhelming number,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. “Not surprisingly, opposition is coming from the state’s air quality management districts, which argue that this bill increases the burden on regions to meet air quality standards set by state and federal governments.”
This bill’s success will certainly make it easier for California’s enthusiasts to enjoy a wider array of classic vehicles, including sports cars and trucks. However, victory would also represent a common sense solution to an unnecessary burden on old car collectors and lower-income citizens. “The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emissions reductions,” McDonald added. “This strategy builds support for emissions inspection programs, but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air. In light of hard economic times and California’s continued commitment to focusing limited resources where they can be most efficient in creating clean air, S.B. 1224 is a no brainer.”
At press time, S.B. 1224 had been granted reconsideration after failing to be approved by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee on a 3-4 vote, with two committee members not voting. The bill will be reconsidered in a future committee hearing.