Legislation (H.B. 252) introduced in the Maryland General Assembly proposes to exempt newer motor vehicles from the state’s mandatory emissions inspection program.
Under H.B. 252, a vehicle would be exempt from mandatory emissions test requirements for 4 years after the vehicle's model year or first registration date, whichever is earlier. A hearing on this bill will be convened by the House Environmental Matters Committee on Tues., Feb. 9.
We Urge You to Contact Members of the Maryland House Environmental Matters Committee (List Below) Immediately to Request Their Support for H.B. 252
H.B. 252 acknowledges the relatively minimal environmental impact of the vehicles targeted for this exemption.
H.B. 252 acknowledges that it is senseless to test newer vehicles, the results of which demonstrate no significant air quality benefits. The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emission reductions. This strategy builds support for emission inspection programs, but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air.
Maryland, like most other states, already exempts older (pre-1977 model year) motor vehicles from emissions tests. The logic for this trend is clear; such vehicles do not contribute in significant ways to air quality problems. This logic applies equally to newer cars.
DON’T DELAY! Please contact members of the Maryland House Environmental Matters to request their support for H.B. 252. Please e-mail a copy of your letter to stevem@sema.org. Thank you for your assistance.
House Environmental Matters Committee
Representative Maggie McIntosh – Chair
Representative James E. Malone – Vice Chair
Representative Pamela G. Beidle
Representative Elizabeth Bobo
Representative Rudolph C. Cane
Representative Alfred Carr
Representative Galen Clagett
Representative Barbara Frush
Representative Cheryl Glenn
Representative Anne Healey
Representative Marvin Holmes
Representative Tom Hucker
Representative Stephen Lafferty
Representative Doyle Niemann
Representative Wayne Norman
Representative Anthony Odonnell
Representative Andrew Serafini
Representative Tanya Shewell
Representative Richard Sossi
Representative Dana Stein
Representative Paul Stull
Representative Michael Weir