WASHINGTON (Jan. 14, 2011) — Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would penalize states for not having periodic vehicle safety inspection laws.
Introduced Jan. 7, the bill would deduct 5 percent of a state's federal funds for fiscal year 2014 — and an additional 10 percent each year thereafter — for not having vehicle safety inspection standards that, at minimum, ensure that vehicle speedometers and seat belts are operable. After Sept. 30, 2015, all funds withheld from states for noncompliance with the statute would be permanently forfeit.
The bill is identical to one Ms. Jackson-Lee introduced in the previous Congress. The Automotive Service Association (ASA) said it supports the bill, although it faults the legislation for not mandating other vehicle safety criteria. Only 18 states have some form of periodic vehicle safety inspection on their books, and the Mississippi legislature is considering a bill that would repeal the state's vehicle safety inspection program.
The full text of the bill can be found via links on the ASA legislative website.