SEMA-supported legislation to provide a 10-year emissions inspection exemption for vehicles never before registered in Pennsylvania or any other jurisdiction was approved by the Senate. The bill now moves to the House Transportation Committee. Current law only exempts new vehicles that have less than 5,000 miles on their odometer for one year after their first registration.
The bill 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 emissions reductions. This strategy builds support for emissions-inspection programs, but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air. The measure still requires that the newest 10 model-year vehicles be subject to visual anti-tampering inspections for the presence of emissions-control components installed on the vehicle by manufacturers.
For details, visit the SEMA Action Network (SAN) website. For more information, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.