Georgia legislation (H.B. 1183) that sought to ban the street use of nitrous oxide systems in vehicles operated on public roads passed in the House but, due to time constraints, did not make it through the Senate before the legislature adjourned.
H.B. 1193, as originally written, sought to unfairly prohibit all public road use of passenger cars or pickup trucks equipped with nitrous oxide delivery systems. In other words, any car with a nitrous set-up would have been in violation of the law, regardless of whether the system was operable or not. In response to complaints from hobbyists and the affected nitrous oxide producing industry, SEMA succeeded in modifying the bill. As amended, the mere presence of nitrous systems in vehicles on public roadways would not have constituted a violation.
The SEMA Action Network is particularly grateful for the work of State Representative Alan Powell. "Representative Powell, a street rodder in his youth and a powerful member of the Motor Vehicle Committee, was resolute in his commitment to protecting manufacturers and hobbyists from a blanket ban and ensuring the continuation of legitimate uses of nitrous systems," commented SEMA Director of State Relations Steve McDonald.
We would also like to mention the efforts of The Georgia hobbyist community for their interest in this bill. With the involvement of SEMA Action Network contact clubs like the North Georgia Mopar Club, we are all hopeful that ill-considered legislation like H.B. 1193 will not be reintroduced in the next legislative session.