Legislation (S.B. 1224) to exempt all motor vehicles prior to the 1981 model year from the emissions inspection requirement will not be reconsidered by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee after failing its initial vote. According to bill sponsor Senator Doug LaMalfa, “Although the bill was granted reconsideration, the opponents contend the exemption is intended as a means of ignoring the effects of pollution caused by older, high-emissions vehicles rather than a legitimate benefit for classic car collectors whose vehicles are rarely driven. My efforts to convince my colleagues of the merits of the bill have been unsuccessful, and therefore, the bill has been dropped for this year and, of course, I am very disappointed.”
This is not the first setback we’ve suffered at the hands of the California legislature nor is it likely to be the last. However, we can take comfort in the fact that lawmakers like Senator LaMalfa continue to push for fairness in how the state’s vehicle inspection laws are applied, particularly to rarely used, well-maintained collector cars.
On behalf of the SEMA Action Network, thank you to all the dedicated California hobbyists who participated in this campaign.