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H.B. 407

             1     

NEW CAR SAFETY AND EMISSIONS INSPECTION

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Don L. Ipson

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Curtis S. Bramble

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Traffic Code and the Public Safety Code by amending provisions
             10      relating to motor vehicle safety and emissions inspections.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    provides that to the extent allowed under the current federally approved state
             14      implementation plan, a motor vehicle that is less than two years old on January 1,
             15      based on the age of the vehicle as determined by the model year identified by the
             16      manufacturer, is exempt from the requirement to obtain an emissions inspection;
             17          .    provides that a motor vehicle that is less than two years old on January 1, based on
             18      the age of the vehicle as determined by the model year identified by the
             19      manufacturer, is exempt from the requirement to pass a safety inspection; and
             20          .    makes technical changes.
             21      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             22          None
             23      Other Special Clauses:
             24          This bill takes effect on October 1, 2012.
             25      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             26      AMENDS:
             27          41-6a-1642, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 36


             28          53-8-205, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapters 155 and 311
             29     
             30      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             31          Section 1. Section 41-6a-1642 is amended to read:
             32           41-6a-1642. Emissions inspection -- County program.
             33          (1) The legislative body of each county required under federal law to utilize a motor
             34      vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program or in which an emissions inspection
             35      and maintenance program is necessary to attain or maintain any national ambient air quality
             36      standard shall require:
             37          (a) a certificate of emissions inspection, a waiver, or other evidence the motor vehicle
             38      is exempt from emissions inspection and maintenance program requirements be presented:
             39          (i) as a condition of registration or renewal of registration; and
             40          (ii) at other times as the county legislative body may require to enforce inspection
             41      requirements for individual motor vehicles, except that the county legislative body may not
             42      routinely require a certificate of emission inspection, or waiver of the certificate, more often
             43      than required under Subsection (6); and
             44          (b) compliance with this section for a motor vehicle registered or principally operated
             45      in the county and owned by or being used by a department, division, instrumentality, agency, or
             46      employee of:
             47          (i) the federal government;
             48          (ii) the state and any of its agencies; or
             49          (iii) a political subdivision of the state, including school districts.
             50          (2) (a) The legislative body of a county identified in Subsection (1), in consultation
             51      with the Air Quality Board created under Section 19-1-106 , shall make regulations or
             52      ordinances regarding:
             53          (i) emissions standards;
             54          (ii) test procedures;
             55          (iii) inspections stations;
             56          (iv) repair requirements and dollar limits for correction of deficiencies; and
             57          (v) certificates of emissions inspections.
             58          (b) The regulations or ordinances shall:


             59          (i) be made to attain or maintain ambient air quality standards in the county, consistent
             60      with the state implementation plan and federal requirements;
             61          (ii) may allow for a phase-in of the program by geographical area; and
             62          (iii) be compliant with the analyzer design and certification requirements contained in
             63      the state implementation plan prepared under Title 19, Chapter 2, Air Conservation Act.
             64          (c) The county legislative body and the Air Quality Board shall give preference to an
             65      inspection and maintenance program that is:
             66          (i) decentralized, to the extent the decentralized program will attain and maintain
             67      ambient air quality standards and meet federal requirements;
             68          (ii) the most cost effective means to achieve and maintain the maximum benefit with
             69      regard to ambient air quality standards and to meet federal air quality requirements as related to
             70      vehicle emissions; and
             71          (iii) providing a reasonable phase-out period for replacement of air pollution emission
             72      testing equipment made obsolete by the program.
             73          (d) The provisions of Subsection (2)(c)(iii) apply only to the extent the phase-out:
             74          (i) may be accomplished in accordance with applicable federal requirements; and
             75          (ii) does not otherwise interfere with the attainment and maintenance of ambient air
             76      quality standards.
             77          (3) The following vehicles are exempt from the provisions of this section:
             78          (a) an implement of husbandry;
             79          (b) a motor vehicle that:
             80          (i) meets the definition of a farm truck under Section 41-1a-102 ; and
             81          (ii) has a gross vehicle weight rating of 12,001 pounds or more;
             82          (c) a vintage vehicle as defined in Section 41-21-1 ; [and]
             83          (d) a custom vehicle as defined in Section 41-6a-1507 [.]; and
             84          (e) to the extent allowed under the current federally approved state implementation
             85      plan, in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 7401, et seq., a motor
             86      vehicle that is less than two years old on January 1 based on the age of the vehicle as
             87      determined by the model year identified by the manufacturer.
             88          (4) (a) The legislative body of a county identified in Subsection (1) shall exempt a
             89      pickup truck, as defined in Section 41-1a-102 , with a gross vehicle weight of 12,000 pounds or


             90      less from the emission inspection requirements of this section, if the registered owner of the
             91      pickup truck provides a signed statement to the legislative body stating the truck is used:
             92          (i) by the owner or operator of a farm located on property that qualifies as land in
             93      agricultural use under Sections 59-2-502 and 59-2-503 ; and
             94          (ii) exclusively for the following purposes in operating the farm:
             95          (A) for the transportation of farm products, including livestock and its products,
             96      poultry and its products, floricultural and horticultural products; and
             97          (B) in the transportation of farm supplies, including tile, fence, and every other thing or
             98      commodity used in agricultural, floricultural, horticultural, livestock, and poultry production
             99      and maintenance.
             100          (b) The county shall provide to the registered owner who signs and submits a signed
             101      statement under this section a certificate of exemption from emission inspection requirements
             102      for purposes of registering the exempt vehicle.
             103          (5) (a) Subject to Subsection (5)(c), the legislative body of each county required under
             104      federal law to utilize a motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program or in
             105      which an emissions inspection and maintenance program is necessary to attain or maintain any
             106      national ambient air quality standard may require each college or university located in a county
             107      subject to this section to require its students and employees who park a motor vehicle not
             108      registered in a county subject to this section to provide proof of compliance with an emissions
             109      inspection accepted by the county legislative body if the motor vehicle is parked on the college
             110      or university campus or property.
             111          (b) College or university parking areas that are metered or for which payment is
             112      required per use are not subject to the requirements of this Subsection (5).
             113          (c) The legislative body of a county shall make the reasons for implementing the
             114      provisions of this Subsection (5) part of the record at the time that the county legislative body
             115      takes its official action to implement the provisions of this Subsection (5).
             116          (6) (a) An emissions inspection station shall issue a certificate of emissions inspection
             117      for each motor vehicle that meets the inspection and maintenance program requirements
             118      established in rules made under Subsection (2).
             119          (b) The frequency of the emissions inspection shall be determined based on the age of
             120      the vehicle as determined by model year and shall be required annually subject to the


             121      provisions of Subsection (6)(c).
             122          (c) (i) To the extent allowed under the current federally approved state implementation
             123      plan, in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 7401 et seq., the legislative
             124      body of a county identified in Subsection (1) shall only require the emissions inspection every
             125      two years for each vehicle.
             126          (ii) The provisions of Subsection (6)(c)(i) apply only to a vehicle that is less than six
             127      years old on January 1.
             128          (d) If an emissions inspection is only required every two years for a vehicle under
             129      Subsection (6)(c), the inspection shall be required for the vehicle in:
             130          (i) odd-numbered years for vehicles with odd-numbered model years; or
             131          (ii) in even-numbered years for vehicles with even-numbered model years.
             132          (7) The emissions inspection shall be required within the same time limit applicable to
             133      a safety inspection under Section 41-1a-205 .
             134          (8) (a) A county identified in Subsection (1) shall collect information about and
             135      monitor the program.
             136          (b) A county identified in Subsection (1) shall supply this information to an appropriate
             137      legislative committee, as designated by the Legislative Management Committee, at times
             138      determined by the designated committee to identify program needs, including funding needs.
             139          (9) If approved by the county legislative body, a county that had an established
             140      emissions inspection fee as of January 1, 2002, may increase the established fee that an
             141      emissions inspection station may charge by $2.50 for each year that is exempted from
             142      emissions inspections under Subsection (6)(c) up to a $7.50 increase.
             143          (10) (a) A county identified in Subsection (1) may impose a local emissions
             144      compliance fee on each motor vehicle registration within the county in accordance with the
             145      procedures and requirements of Section 41-1a-1223 .
             146          (b) A county that imposes a local emissions compliance fee shall use revenues
             147      generated from the fee for the establishment and enforcement of an emissions inspection and
             148      maintenance program in accordance with the requirements of this section.
             149          Section 2. Section 53-8-205 is amended to read:
             150           53-8-205. Safety inspection required -- Frequency of safety inspection -- Safety
             151      inspection certificate required -- Out-of-state permits.


             152          (1) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (1)(b), a person may not operate on a highway
             153      a motor vehicle required to be registered in this state unless the motor vehicle has passed a
             154      safety inspection.
             155          (b) Subsection (1)(a) does not apply to:
             156          (i) a vehicle that is exempt from registration under Section 41-1a-205 ;
             157          (ii) an off-highway vehicle, unless the off-highway vehicle is being registered as a
             158      street-legal all-terrain vehicle in accordance with Section 41-6a-1509 ;
             159          (iii) a vintage vehicle as defined in Section 41-21-1 ;
             160          (iv) a commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating over 26,000 pounds that:
             161          (A) is operating with an apportioned registration under Section 41-1a-301; and
             162          (B) has a valid annual federal inspection that complies with the requirements of 49
             163      C.F.R. Sec. 396.17; [and]
             164          (v) a trailer, semitrailer, or trailering equipment attached to a commercial motor vehicle
             165      described in Subsection (1)(a)(iv) that has a valid annual federal inspection that complies with
             166      the requirements of 49 C.F.R. Sec. 396.17[.]; and
             167          (vi) a motor vehicle that is less than two years old on January 1 based on the age of the
             168      vehicle as determined by the model year identified by the manufacturer.
             169          (2) Except as provided in Subsection (3), the frequency of the safety inspection shall be
             170      determined based on the age of the vehicle determined by model year and shall:
             171          (a) be required each year for a vehicle that is eight or more years old on January 1; or
             172          (b) every two years for each vehicle that is less than eight years old on January 1 as
             173      follows:
             174          (i) in odd-numbered years for a vehicle with an odd-numbered model year; and
             175          (ii) in even-numbered years for a vehicle with an even-numbered model year;
             176          (c) be made by a safety inspector certified by the division at a safety inspection station
             177      authorized by the division;
             178          (d) cover an inspection of the motor vehicle mechanism, brakes, and equipment to
             179      ensure proper adjustment and condition as required by department rules; and
             180          (e) include an inspection for the display of license plates in accordance with Section
             181      41-1a-404 .
             182          (3) (a) (i) A salvage vehicle as defined in Section 41-1a-1001 is required to pass a


             183      safety inspection when an application is made for initial registration as a salvage vehicle.
             184          (ii) After initial registration as a salvage vehicle, the frequency of the safety inspection
             185      shall correspond with the model year, as provided in Subsection (2).
             186          (b) A motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more is
             187      required to pass a safety inspection annually.
             188          (4) (a) A safety inspection station shall issue two safety inspection certificates to the
             189      owner of:
             190          (i) each motor vehicle that passes a safety inspection under this section; and
             191          (ii) a street-legal all-terrain vehicle that meets all the equipment requirements in
             192      Section 41-6a-1509 .
             193          (b) A safety inspection station shall use one safety inspection certificate issued under
             194      this Subsection (4) for processing the vehicle registration.
             195          (c) A person operating a motor vehicle shall have in the person's immediate possession
             196      a safety inspection certificate or other evidence of compliance with the requirement to obtain a
             197      safety inspection under this section.
             198          (5) The division may:
             199          (a) authorize the acceptance in this state of a safety inspection certificate issued in
             200      another state having a safety inspection law similar to this state; and
             201          (b) extend the time within which a safety inspection certificate must be obtained by the
             202      resident owner of a vehicle that was not in this state during the time a safety inspection was
             203      required.
             204          Section 3. Effective date.
             205          This bill takes effect on October 1, 2012.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-23-12 4:56 PM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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