DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (Oct. 8, 2013) — The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) is urging its members to oppose pending legislation in Ohio that it said could unfairly restrict certain types of vehicle headlamps.
SEMA said S.B. 161, which has been introduced in the Ohio State Senate, would require headlights on motor vehicles to display a "white light"—without defining that term. The bill has been referred to the Senate Transportation Committee for consideration.
"We urge you to contact members of the Senate Transportation Committee immediately to oppose S.B. 161," the Diamond Bar-based trade group said in an alert sent out through its SEMA Action Network (SAN). The association noted the following in its opposition to the bill:
• All headlamps are required to comply with the color requirements contained in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards;
• Under the federal standards, it is possible to design a headlamp that can be perceived as having a blue tint but which nevertheless remains within the federal boundaries that define "white." It is illegal for a state to enact a law that would conflict with a federal standard; and
• S.B. 161 may be targeting illegal high-intensity discharge (HID) conversion kits, which are already illegal under federal law. However, the bill could even ban factory-installed HID headlamps which emit a blue hue.