Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass with amendment a bill that establishes a smog-check program for heavy-duty diesel trucks.

Highlights:

• Requires, no later than 2 years after the completion of the pilot program, the establishment of the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program, which will include the adoption and implementation of regulations for non-gasoline heavy-duty onroad motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 14,000 pounds, including but not limited to single-vehicle fleets and other vehicles that are registered in other states but operate on California roads (Sec. 2).

• Requires the State Air Resources Board to (Sec. 2):

• Establish test procedures for different motor vehicles and emission control technologies that:

• Measure the effectiveness of the control of emissions of oxides, nitrogen, and particulate matter;

• Can include procedures for the use of onboard diagnostics system data and test procedures that measure the effectiveness of the control of emissions of greenhouse gases; and

• Must include at least one test procedure that does result in charges imposed on owners of vehicles subject to the program that exceed the maximum allowable amount of the compliance fee except for the necessary repair costs to bring a vehicle into compliance with the program;

• Require a motor vehicle to pass the test procedures in order to register or operate in the state;

• Allow a streamlined process for the owner or operator of a vehicle fleet who has an established compliance history with the program, including, but not limited to, the use of the electronic transmission of emissions data in lieu of the annual physical testing of the vehicles determined by the state board;

• Establish program validation methods for evaluating program effectiveness, fraud investigation, and research purposes;

• Develop and implement enforcement methods to ensure continuing compliance, and these methods can include visual inspections, functional inspections, and requiring emissions testing of vehicles; 

• Develop an information technology database to collect and track vehicle test data, assessing the data to determine compliance, and regularly generating lists of compliant vehicle identification numbers and transmit them to the Department of Motor Vehicles in order for annual vehicle registration notices to be issued; and 

• Exempt:

• Zero-emission vehicles;

• A publicly-owned emergency vehicles operated by peace officers, only as necessary to ensure the ability to respond to emergencies;

• An authorized emergency vehicle used for fighting fires or responding to emergency fire calls by specified entities only as necessary to ensure the ability to respond to emergencies;

• A publically-owned authorized emergency vehicle used by an emergency medical technician-paramedic only as necessary to ensure the ability to respond to emergencies; and

• A tactical vehicle operated by the military as necessary for testing or training purposes; and

• New vehicles certified to meet the most stringent optional reduces emissions of oxides of nitrogen emission standard for four years from the time inspections begin under the program.

• Authorizes the state board to issue a citation to the owner of a vehicle in violation of this section (Sec. 2).

• Requires the state board to provide mechanisms for out of state owners of heavy duty vehicles to establish and verify compliance prior to entering the state (Sec. 2).

• Requires the state board to assess a compliance fee, not to exceed $30, to fund the reasonable costs of implementing the program (Sec. 2).

• Requires all penalty moneys collected by the state board to be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a smog-check program for heavy-duty diesel trucks.

Highlights:

• Requires, no later than 2 years after the completion of the pilot program, the establishment of the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program, which will include the adoption and implementation of regulations for non-gasoline heavy-duty onroad motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 14,000 pounds, including but not limited to single-vehicle fleets and other vehicles that are registered in other states but operate on California roads (Sec. 2).

• Requires the State Air Resources Board to (Sec. 2):

• Establish test procedures for different motor vehicles and emission control technologies that measure the effectiveness of the control of emissions of oxides, nitrogen, and particulate matter, and can include procedures for the use of onboard diagnostics system data and test procedures that measure the effectiveness of the control of emissions of greenhouse gases; 

• Require a motor vehicle to pass the test procedures in order to register or operate in the state;

• Allow a streamlined process for the owner or operator of a vehicle fleet who has an established compliance history with the program;

• Establish program validation methods for evaluating program effectiveness, fraud investigation, and research purposes;

• Develop and implement enforcement methods to ensure continuing compliance, and these methods can include visual inspections, functional inspections, and requiring emissions testing of vehicles; 

• Develop an information technology database to collect and track vehicle test data, assessing the data to determine compliance, and regularly generating lists of compliant vehicle identification numbers and transmit them to the Department of Motor Vehicles in order for annual vehicle registration notices to be issued; and 

• Exempt:

• Zero-emission vehicles;

• A publicly-owned emergency vehicle operated by peace officers, only as necessary to ensure the ability to respond to emergencies;

• An authorized emergency vehicle used for fighting fires or responding to emergency fire calls by specified entities only as necessary to ensure the ability to respond to emergencies; and

• A publically-owned authorized emergency vehicle used by an emergency medical technician-paramedic only as necessary to ensure the ability to respond to emergencies.

• Authorizes the state board to issue a citation to the owner of a vehicle in violation of this section (Sec. 2).

• Requires the state board to provide mechanisms for out of state owners of heavy duty vehicles to establish and verify compliance prior to entering the state (Sec. 2).

• Requires all penalty moneys collected by the state board to be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text