From the SEMA Washington, D.C, office
Following a herculean effort to modernize California's smog-check process to better support vehicle collectors, SEMA has honored the two state senators who pushed Leno's Law forward in 2025.
California Senators Shannon Grove and Dave Cortese at the 2025 SEMA Show, November 4-7 in Las Vegas, were named as the recipients of the SEMA Lawmaker of the Year Award, a recognition of their bipartisan leadership of Senate Bill (SB) 712, known as "Leno's Law." The award, given annually, honors lawmakers who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the specialty-automotive aftermarket and the enthusiasts it serves.
Authored by Sen. Grove and named in honor of legendary entertainer and automotive enthusiast Jay Leno, SB 712 sought to provide a fair-and-reasonable modernization of existing state laws to provide a pathway to exempt modern classic cars from California's smog-check process. The bill drew national attention thanks to their passionate advocacy for protecting California's car culture and their work with lawmakers and SEMA to promote common sense reform for enthusiasts and small businesses alike.
Sen. Cortese, who chairs the Senate Transportation Committee, joined as principal coauthor and helped guide the bill through critical hearings. Together with Sen. Grove, they built a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers, industry leaders and enthusiasts to support a balanced reform that protects the state's car culture.
Although SB 712 was ultimately held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, the measure marked the most significant progress on California's collector vehicle smog laws in more than two decades. The bill's advancement represented an important step toward modernizing outdated rules that have frustrated owners of rare and historic vehicles. Through their collaboration, Sens. Grove and Cortese helped elevate awareness of the specialty-equipment industry and its economic and cultural importance to the state.
"Sens. Grove and Cortese exemplify what this award stands for," said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. "Their partnership showed that common sense solutions and bipartisan cooperation are still possible in Sacramento. Their leadership on Leno's Law made real progress for enthusiasts and small businesses, and it laid the foundation for continued work to protect California's automotive heritage."
The SEMA Lawmaker of the Year Award recognizes policymakers who show exceptional leadership in promoting innovation and enthusiasm for automotive culture.
SEMA will continue working with Sens. Grove, Cortese and their colleagues in the year ahead to build on the progress made in 2025 and ensure that California remains a place where enthusiasts can enjoy, preserve and share their vehicles for generations to come.
For more information contact SEMA Senior Manager for State Government Affairs Victor Muñoz at victorm@sema.org.
