A.B. 616 smog check legislation

A.B. 616 smog check legislationI love California. I love the weather. I love the lifestyle. What I don't love are the smog and the traffic, but hey, at least the State is doing something to help alleviate that, right?California arguably upholds the strictest emissions regulations in the United States. Car modifications affecting emissions need to be CARB-legal. From my experience, even with CARB-certified parts, law enforcement seem to like sending me to the smog referee just to double check. While I'm glad that the State works hard for clean air, the current and pending legislation certainly don't make it easy on car enthusiasts. Currently, Assemblyman Dave Jones has introduced legislation (A.B. 616) which requires annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older. As an owner of a car that's creeping close to the big 1-5, this is a cause for concern. I don't see the purpose of having an annual smog check, other than to raise revenue. Aren't biennial smog checks enough? It's also interesting to note that the bill would use the money earned for these additional inspections to fund the scrapping of older cars. Sounds like car ageism to me. As it stands, all vehicles from 1976 and on require lifetime smog testing. Owners of cars before 1976 can consider themselves fortunate, since A.B. 616 will not apply to them. The official information below is taken from the California State Senate. Read it and take a stand:AB 616, as introduced, Jones. Smog check: annual inspection.   (1) Existing law establishes a motor vehicle inspection andmaintenance (smog check) program, developed, implemented, andadministered by the Department of Consumer Affairs. The smog checkprogram provides for the inspection of a motor vehicle, among inother circumstances, upon its registration, upon transfer ofownership, and for vehicles registered in certain areas of the state,biannually. The department is required to charge a fee to a smogcheck station for each motor vehicle inspection, as provided.Violations of the smog check constitute a criminal violation of law.   Existing law creates the High Polluter Repair or Removal Account,and makes available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, all moneyin the account to the State Air Resources Board and the departmentto establish and implement a program for the repair or replacement ofhigh polluting motor vehicles.   This bill would require the department to incorporate annualinspection of motor vehicles 15 or greater model years old into themotor vehicle inspection and maintenance program by July 1, 2008, andwould require funds generated through additional inspection fees tobe deposited into the High Polluter Repair or Removal Account.Because violations of the smog check program are a crime, the billwould impose a state-mandated local program.   The bill would exempt all motor vehicles not subject to annualinspection, and would require the department to develop a methodologyto exempt vehicles or classes of vehicles likely to pass annualinspection.   (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburselocal agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by thestate. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making thatreimbursement.   This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by thisact for a specified reason.   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.State-mandated local program: yes.THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.  Section 44012.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code,to read:   44012.5.  (a) The department shall incorporate annual inspectionof motor vehicles 15 or greater model years old into the motorvehicle inspection and maintenance program by July 1, 2008.   (b) All funds generated through additional inspection fees shallbe deposited into the High Polluter Repair or Removal Account createdby Section 44091.   (c) (1) All motor vehicles not subject to biannual inspectionshall also be exempt from annual inspection.   (2) The department shall develop a methodology to exempt vehiclesor classes of vehicles likely to pass annual inspection.  SEC. 2.  No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant toSection 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution becausethe only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or schooldistrict will be incurred because this act creates a new crime orinfraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penaltyfor a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of theGovernment Code, or changes the definition of a crime within themeaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the CaliforniaConstitution.Read More | Digg It | Add to del.icio.us