DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (May 29, 2015) — Automotive aftermarket-related bills in two states have died due to legislature inaction, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).
SEMA reported that a bill in Vermont that would have banned motor-vehicle exhaust systems that increase the noise level died when the legislature adjourned for the year. However, the bill is eligible for consideration in 2016.
Under the measure, SEMA said violators would not have passed the state's required inspection and would have been subject to fines of up to $350. The bill also did not provide an opportunity for vehicle hobbyists to install and use aftermarket exhaust systems that meet an objective decibel limit under a fair and predictable test.
Meanwhile, legislation in Minnesota that would have mandated payment of a “recoupment” surcharge of up to $95 for fuel-efficient vehicles — and a car tax on miles traveled — both died when the state's legislature adjourned for the year.
The surcharge would have levied the highest amount on owners of the most fuel-efficient vehicles to recoup taxes not collected at the gas pump, according to SEMA. Separate legislation in the Minnesota legislature would have required the state's Department of Transportation to take steps to implement a vehicle mileage user fee to tax drivers on actual miles driven. Both bills are eligible for consideration in 2016, according to Diamond Bar-based SEMA's legislative staff.