A Summary of Sema-Model Street Rod/Custom Vehicle Bill
It defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom vehicle as an altered vehicle manufactured after 1948. It provides specific registration classes and license plates for street rods and custom vehicles. Replica vehicles and kit cars will be assigned the same model-year designations as the production vehicles they most closely resemble and will be allowed the use of non-original materials.
It exempts street rods and custom vehicles from periodic vehicle inspections and emissions inspections. Vehicles titled and registered as street rods and custom vehicles may only be used for occasional transportation, exhibitions, club activities, parades, tours, etc., and not for general daily transportation. It further exempts street rods and custom vehicles from a range of standard-equipment requirements, and allows the use of blue-dot taillights on street rods and custom vehicles.
Those interested in reviewing the model bill or obtaining information on how to pursue a plan to enact the model into law in their states should contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org. To download a copy of the model bill, visit the SAN Web site at www.semasan.com.
Newly Introduced Legislation
Note: The following state bills are not laws. They were recently introduced and are currently under consideration by the respective state legislatures:
Pennsylvania HB 727/HB 1760: Prohibits the use of nitrous-oxide systems on public roadways. Owners of vehicles equipped with nitrous-oxide systems must remove the canisters while operating on public roadways. Exemption provided for vehicles going to or returning from racetracks as long as the nitrous lines are disconnected while on public roadways. Provides penalties for violations.
Sema Crushes Vehicle Scrappage Program
Sema has once again convinced lawmakers to prohibit the use of federal monies to fund motor vehicle scrappage programs. The latest victory came as Congress completed work on legislation to fund highway construction and public transportation through fiscal 2009. President Bush signed the $286.4 billion bill into law this past August.
Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed funding state and local scrappage programs through the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ), which pays for things like bike paths, carpool lanes, and commuter parking lots. SEMA worked with a coalition of other aftermarket trade associations urging Congress not to authorize the proposal.
Sema's Steve McDonald noted, "SEMA briefed leaders in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on the fact that scrappage programs are not a cost-effective method to reduce motor vehicle emissions and unnecessarily remove collector vehicles and parts from the marketplace. The leaders pledged not to include vehicle scrappage funding in the highway bill, and they lived up to that pledge."
Scrappage programs accelerate natural vehicle retirement by allowing for the purchase of older cars from owners, which are then typically crushed into blocks of scrap metal. Most scrappage programs are based on the trading of emissions credits and began as an incentive to allow "smoke-stack" industries to determine the most cost-effective means of reducing pollution. Sema opposes scrappage proposals, and where proposals cannot be defeated, Sema has sought to amend them to protect collector vehicles and parts-cars, focus on verified gross polluters, use measured emission values, allow parts recycling, and include repair/upgrade alternatives.
For more information on Sema or the HRIA, contact them at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765-3914; call (909) 396-0289; visit www.sema.org.