A version of SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and replica vehicles was approved by the Iowa House Transportation Committee and will soon be brought to the floor of the House for a vote by all members. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 or a vehicle designed to resemble a vehicle manufactured before 1949.
A version of SEMA-model legislation to create a state motor-vehicle definition for replica vehicles, and allow these vehicles to meet only the equipment and emissions standards in effect for the model year and vehicle being replicated, was approved by the Idaho House of Representatives.
SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles was approved by the Michigan House of Representatives by an overwhelming 107–1 bipartisan vote. The bill must now be considered by the Michigan Senate Transportation Committee.
The Tennessee State Senate has approved a version of SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration and titling classification for custom vehicles. The House version of the bill is still currently pending in the House Transportation Committee and needs to be considered quickly in order to move for final approval.
SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles will be considered by the Kansas House Transportation Committee. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948.
The bill allows kit cars and replica vehicles to be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the body of the vehicle it most closely resembles.
With the help of grassroots hobbyists across the state, SEMA defeated two bills in Washington State that sought to tax vehicle owners in an attempt to reduce motor-vehicle emissions. The first bill would have established two separate progressive fees for state motor vehicles based on (1) engine size and (2) calculations of carbon emissions. These fees would have been collected by the state at the time of initial vehicle registration and at subsequent renewals of registration.
SEMA is supporting Maryland legislation that proposes to exempt motor vehicles that are driven 1,000 miles or less from the state’s mandatory emissions' inspection program. Vehicles of any model year would be eligible. The bill is scheduled for a hearing by the House Environmental Matters Committee on March 7, 2008.
For more information click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.
The cost of a first-class stamp will rise by $.01 to $.42, starting on May 12. Under a 2006 law reorganizing the U.S. Postal Service, the agency will now adjust postal prices on a yearly basis at a rate tied to inflation. The law change was intended to provide predictability and price protection. The inflation rate since last May’s first class mail increase was 2.9%. While the mailing cost for the first ounce of a first-class letter rises by a $.01, the price of each added ounce will remain $.17 (i.e. a two-ounce letter will go up a penny to &.59).
The U.S. Congress passed legislation designed to protect children from injuries or deaths in non-traffic vehicle incidents. President Bush is expected to sign the bill (HR 1216) into law. The measure directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to require new vehicles be equipped with a means of alerting the driver if a child is behind the vehicle when it is being backed-up. The specialty-equipment industry has been at the forefront of offering cameras and sensors to address the issue.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) ruled that 12,000 acres of the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area in California must be closed to the public so as to protect the Peirson’s milk-vetch plant. The agency excluded 10,000 acres of dunes where most off-road activities take place. The plant was placed on the endangered species list in 1998 and the FWS was required to designate critical habitat to protect the plant on land which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
