Auto Care Weekly State Government Affairs Update: Apr. 27, 2023

What's Moving:

• Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed HB 23-1011, the first right to repair bill for farm equipment in the US. Coverage of the bill signing ceremony can be found here.
• Georgia SB 60, making it illegal to purchase, possess, obtain, or sell or attempt to purchase, possess, obtain, or sell used, detached catalytic converters was enacted after being signed by Governor Brian Kemp (R).
• Vermont S 38 regulating the sales of catalytic converters passed the House and is now back in the Senate.
• Montana HB 255 regulating catalytic converter sales has been sent to Governor Greg Gianforte (R)
• Texas SB 1083, a bill creating a preference for OEM parts and repairs – was approved by the full Senate via voice vote and is now pending in the House Insurance Committee.
• California SB 244, a right to repair act for digital consumer goods - Washeard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on 4/24 and placed on the committee Suspense File due to its potential costs to the state. The committee will revisit this and other bills on that file later this Spring. The hearing featured testimony from the FTC on their report Nix the Fix and why the bill is important in their view. The Appropriations Committee staff analysis can be found here.
• Oklahoma SB 593, a bill that would prohibit a manufacturer from denying a claim for chargeback against an auto dealer - Has been signed into lawby Governor Kevin Stitt (R).
• Kansas HB 2326, which would extend the sunset date on scrap metal theft reduction act and clarify that catalytic converters are included in the act - Has been signed into law by Governor Laura Kelly (D). A short summary of the bill is here.
• Iowa HF 713, a bill that would put regulations on transactions for used catalytic converters - Has passed the House and is being sent to the Senate. 
• Florida SB 306, the Catalytic Converter Antitheft Act - Has passed the House and been sent to Governor DeSantis. 
• California SB 271, legislation to allow for private repair of powered wheelchairs, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and assigned to the Appropriations Committee.

State News This Week
Nine state legislatures are presently in session. 

Tennessee lawmakers are coming back for a special session next week to discuss gun violence.

New York legislators and Governor Kathy Hochul (D) continue to make progress toward a budget deal. The annual budget was due on April 1^st, and is normally produced on time. A minimum wage increase is part of the conversation.

Legislation We're Tracking

We are currently tracking 226 pieces of state legislation for the Auto Care Association and can provide a full list upon request.

Here are some bills we are watching closely:

Statehouse Automobile Reports

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission approved a plan to require most of the medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in the state to be to electric vehicles or vehicles that run off of hydrogen fuel cells, starting in 2027. In addition, draft regulations being circulated by the metro Regional Air Quality Council would ban sales of gas-powered home lawn mowers, trimmers and leaf blowers, and would ban the summer use of existing gas-powered lawn equipment by schools or parks and maintenance crews beginning in 2025, and by commercial users by 2026.

California’s powerful Air Resources Board was planning to adopt rules on Friday that would ban sales of new diesel big rigs by 2036 and require large companies to convert their existing fleets to zero emission vehicles by 2042. This week the Board also adopted rules requiring the phase out of diesel powered locomotives.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed bills cutting some state taxes as part of a deal with Republican legislators to gain their approval of $630 million in state incentives for a new Ford electric vehicle battery plant.