As a result of its promotion of the specialty-equipment industry on Capitol Hill, SEMA has been invited to join the House Small Business Committee’s influential “Manufacturing Working Group.” The Committee has jurisdiction over matters related to small-business financial aid, regulatory flexibility and paperwork reduction. It can also influence other House Committees with jurisdiction, such as recommending repeal of the costly 1099 reporting requirement in last year’s health care law. Additionally, the House Small Business Committee has oversight and legislative authority over the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its programs.

SEMA, along with other members of the select Manufacturing Working Group, will provide Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) with feedback and suggestions on manufacturing issues that are before Congress and have the potential to affect business owners. Committee staff is currently planning upcoming Working Group meetings with members of the Committee to discuss priorities for the coming year. SEMA’s membership in the prestigious group will continue through the 112th Congress, which ends in 2012.

For more information, please contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at dans@sema.org.

As a result of its promotion of the specialty-equipment industry on Capitol Hill, SEMA has been invited to join the House Small Business Committee’s influential “Manufacturing Working Group.” The Committee has jurisdiction over matters related to small-business financial aid, regulatory flexibility and paperwork reduction. It can also influence other House Committees with jurisdiction, such as recommending repeal of the costly 1099 reporting requirement in last year’s health care law. Additionally, the House Small Business Committee has oversight and legislative authority over the Small Business Administration (SBA) and its programs.

SEMA, along with other members of the select Manufacturing Working Group, will provide Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) with feedback and suggestions on manufacturing issues that are before Congress and have the potential to affect business owners. Committee staff is currently planning upcoming Working Group meetings with members of the Committee to discuss priorities for the coming year. SEMA’s membership in the prestigious group will continue through the 112th Congress, which ends in 2012.

For more information, please contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at dans@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle titling and registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles has been introduced in the Washington State Legislature. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. Under the bill, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. The measure also exempts street rods and customs from a range of standard equipment requirements (only that equipment required in the model year that the vehicle resembles) and emissions inspections.

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation to create a vehicle titling and registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles has been introduced in the Washington State Legislature. The bill defines a street rod as an altered vehicle manufactured before 1949 and a custom as an altered vehicle at least 25 years old and manufactured after 1948. Under the bill, kit cars and replica vehicles will be assigned a certificate of title bearing the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. The measure also exempts street rods and customs from a range of standard equipment requirements (only that equipment required in the model year that the vehicle resembles) and emissions inspections.

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation has been reintroduced in Washington state to prohibit cities or towns from enforcing an ordinance, development regulation, zoning regulation or administrative practice that prevents automobile collectors from pursuing their hobby. Junked, wrecked or inoperable vehicles, including parts cars stored on private property, would only require screening from public view if required by local law.

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation has been reintroduced in Washington state to prohibit cities or towns from enforcing an ordinance, development regulation, zoning regulation or administrative practice that prevents automobile collectors from pursuing their hobby. Junked, wrecked or inoperable vehicles, including parts cars stored on private property, would only require screening from public view if required by local law.

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

Legislation has been introduced in Connecticut to extend the emissions inspection exemption to vehicles five-model-years old or newer. Current law exempts vehicles that are four-model-years old or newer. The measure 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 emissions reductions. This strategy builds support for emissions inspection programs, but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air.

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

Legislation has been introduced in Connecticut to extend the emissions inspection exemption to vehicles five-model-years old or newer. Current law exempts vehicles that are four-model-years old or newer. The measure 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 emissions reductions. This strategy builds support for emissions inspection programs, but also directs finite resources to where they will be most valuable in cleaning the air.

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is opposing Arkansas legislation that would allow cities to remove inoperable vehicles from private property if the vehicle is deemed a “nuisance” under a local ordinance. The bill provides no reasonable safeguards for legitimate automotive hobbyists that choose to work on inoperable collector vehicles on private property and establishes no provisions that would enable vehicles located out of public view to avoid being classified as abandoned.  

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

SEMA is opposing Arkansas legislation that would allow cities to remove inoperable vehicles from private property if the vehicle is deemed a “nuisance” under a local ordinance. The bill provides no reasonable safeguards for legitimate automotive hobbyists that choose to work on inoperable collector vehicles on private property and establishes no provisions that would enable vehicles located out of public view to avoid being classified as abandoned.  

For more information, click here. For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.