Vehicle Equipment Standards and Inspections: State policy makers continue to revise and update equipment and inspection standards—often with a bias toward the vehicle manufacturer’s original equipment, such as lighting, tires and wheels, suspension components and bumper/frame height. SEMA opposes arbitrary and unnecessarily restrictive equipment and inspection procedures.

The last year has been successful for the SEMA Political Action Committee (SEMA PAC), thanks in large part to the vital contributions SEMA members have provided. From securing the repeal of the health-care law’s 1099 reporting requirement to preventing the mislabeling of ethanol content in gasoline, preserving the right to off-road recreation and securing a U.S. Senate Resolution recognizing collector cars, the PAC has addressed issues that have a direct effect on how SEMA members run their businesses and has been an important tool in these victories. With an election year approaching, all SEMA members should learn about SEMA PAC and become involved.

When we think of trends, undercarriage neon lighting, spinners and European-style taillamps spring to mind. Trends develop over time and contribute to movements in design, industry, fashion, entertainment and even legislation. In reacting to trends, legislatures tend to create many of their own. The following trends are currently being pursued by state legislatures across the country and on the national stage. These legislative and regulatory trends do more than create laws to which the industry must comply; they provide insight into underlying conditions that have fueled their creation.

In its daily efforts to promote and protect the auto hobby, SEMA continues to partner with state lawmakers from across the country through the State Automotive Enthusiast Leadership Caucus. Celebrating its six-year anniversary, the caucus is a bipartisan group of state lawmakers whose common thread is a love and appreciation for automobiles.

The SEMA Action Network (SAN) is a nationwide partnership between enthusiasts, vehicle clubs and members of the automotive specialty-equipment industry who have joined forces to promote hobby-friendly legislation and oppose unfair legislation. With more than 60,000 individual members from all 50 states and Canada, the SAN is the premier organization defending the rights of vehicle enthusiasts—the same enthusiasts who comprise the United States and Canadian customers who drive industry sales. The SAN has a proven record for achieving legislative successes through its members’ passionate response to the hundreds of federal and state bills each year that directly affect all aspects of the automotive hobby, including the ability to purchase, install and operate vehicles with aftermarket parts.

No one appreciates victory more than those who have been near defeat, and no one appreciates help more than those who have nearly fallen. As part of this issue is devoted to legislative and regulatory themes, we asked executives from SEMA-member companies to comment on some of the programs that have helped them overcome adversity and improve the marketplace for both the industry and the consumers who benefit from it.

A year ago, we wrote a column discussing the divided American political landscape in which voters were attempting to find the “change” for which they voted. The public clearly was not prepared for the amount of spending pushed through Congress in 2009 to confront the recession and the resulting jobs loss. Having turned the tables in 2010 with an overwhelming shift in power, Washington politicians still seem to be struggling to understand what voters intend when they vote for “change.” In the coming months, perhaps the most important question to be answered by voters is what they expect the role of government to be.

Law and Order is an update of some of the most recent federal and state legislative and regulatory issues that could potentially impact the automotive specialty-equipment industry. These include issues affecting small-business owners and their employees.

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