From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
Leno's Law has cleared another major hurdle.
Authored by Senators Dave Cortese and Shannon Grove, SB 1392 has passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and now heads to the California Senate floor for a full vote.
Are you in California? Tell your Senator to vote YES on Leno's Law (it only takes a minute!)
Leno's Law creates a narrow, phased-in, collector-only pathway to a smog-check exemption for certain older vehicles. The bill starts with vehicles manufactured before the '81 model year and gradually expands, reaching vehicles manufactured before the '86 model year by 2032. Importantly, it does not change the existing pre-1976 exemption already in law.
Leno's Law is designed to focus on true collector vehicles--those used primarily for shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions--rather than as an owner's primary mode of transportation.
The Appropriations Committee amended the bill, adding a new requirement that the vehicle be used on a limited basis. To qualify, the owner would need to either provide DMV with proof of collector car insurance at registration or use a future DMV process to show the vehicle is driven fewer than 1,000 miles per year.
Now that Leno's Law has passed Senate Appropriations, it moves to the Senate floor for a vote. Floor votes can happen quickly, and every message helps lawmakers understand that this issue matters to enthusiasts and the small businesses that support them.
SEMA has been hard at work gathering support from the automotive community and a big thank you goes out to Chris Jacobs and Carmen Vera (Pasadena Classic Car) for using their platforms to highlight why Leno's Law matters.
VIDEO: Watch Chris Jacobs and Carmen Vera's message on Leno's Law here
For more information on how to support Leno's Law and to stay updated on its progress, contact Victor Muñoz, SEMA's senior manager for state government affairs, at victorm@sema.org.
