By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering several bills to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 40-year-old law has produced few tangible results beyond road and trail closures, restrictive land-use designations and lawsuits. Millions of acres of land have been set aside to protect threatened and endangered animals and plants, but more money has been spent on lawyers and court expenses than wildlife management. 

The Senate Committee held a hearing on SEMA-supported bills to address some of these deficiencies. They included legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Interior to consider the economic impact of critical habitat designations, publish scientific and commercial data that is the basis for ESA designations, and consider data provided by state, local and tribal governments. The Committee also considered a SEMA-supported bill to prohibit for six years the Interior Department from deciding whether to include the greater sage grouse on the ESA. The bird’s habitat spans 165 million acres across 11 western states and a listing could lead to many road/trail closures. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering several bills to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 40-year-old law has produced few tangible results beyond road and trail closures, restrictive land-use designations and lawsuits. Millions of acres of land have been set aside to protect threatened and endangered animals and plants, but more money has been spent on lawyers and court expenses than wildlife management. 

The Senate Committee held a hearing on SEMA-supported bills to address some of these deficiencies. They included legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Interior to consider the economic impact of critical habitat designations, publish scientific and commercial data that is the basis for ESA designations, and consider data provided by state, local and tribal governments. The Committee also considered a SEMA-supported bill to prohibit for six years the Interior Department from deciding whether to include the greater sage grouse on the ESA. The bird’s habitat spans 165 million acres across 11 western states and a listing could lead to many road/trail closures. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is considering several bills to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The 40-year-old law has produced few tangible results beyond road and trail closures, restrictive land-use designations and lawsuits. Millions of acres of land have been set aside to protect threatened and endangered animals and plants, but more money has been spent on lawyers and court expenses than wildlife management. 

The Senate Committee held a hearing on SEMA-supported bills to address some of these deficiencies. They included legislation that would require the U.S. Department of Interior to consider the economic impact of critical habitat designations, publish scientific and commercial data that is the basis for ESA designations, and consider data provided by state, local and tribal governments. The Committee also considered a SEMA-supported bill to prohibit for six years the Interior Department from deciding whether to include the greater sage grouse on the ESA. The bird’s habitat spans 165 million acres across 11 western states and a listing could lead to many road/trail closures. 

For more information, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate has introduced SEMA-supported legislation directing the National Academy of Sciences to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for recreational off-highway vehicles.

SEMA-supported legislation (HR 999; S 1040) has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate directing the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). ROVs generally accommodate a side-by-side driver/passenger in a compartment equipped with roll bars and can attain speeds greater than 30 mph.

The CPSC’s proposal includes restrictive lateral stability and vehicle-handling requirements that could potentially limit vehicle use. SEMA has joined with many other companies and organizations to support an alternative industry ROV standard that is very similar to the CPSC rule but which does not stifle future design innovations. The industry standard recognizes that there are a wide variety of uses and terrains for which ROVs are constructed, from utility to recreation.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate has introduced SEMA-supported legislation directing the National Academy of Sciences to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for recreational off-highway vehicles.

SEMA-supported legislation (HR 999; S 1040) has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate directing the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). ROVs generally accommodate a side-by-side driver/passenger in a compartment equipped with roll bars and can attain speeds greater than 30 mph.

The CPSC’s proposal includes restrictive lateral stability and vehicle-handling requirements that could potentially limit vehicle use. SEMA has joined with many other companies and organizations to support an alternative industry ROV standard that is very similar to the CPSC rule but which does not stifle future design innovations. The industry standard recognizes that there are a wide variety of uses and terrains for which ROVs are constructed, from utility to recreation.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate has introduced SEMA-supported legislation directing the National Academy of Sciences to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for recreational off-highway vehicles.

SEMA-supported legislation (HR 999; S 1040) has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate directing the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). ROVs generally accommodate a side-by-side driver/passenger in a compartment equipped with roll bars and can attain speeds greater than 30 mph.

The CPSC’s proposal includes restrictive lateral stability and vehicle-handling requirements that could potentially limit vehicle use. SEMA has joined with many other companies and organizations to support an alternative industry ROV standard that is very similar to the CPSC rule but which does not stifle future design innovations. The industry standard recognizes that there are a wide variety of uses and terrains for which ROVs are constructed, from utility to recreation.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate has introduced SEMA-supported legislation directing the National Academy of Sciences to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for recreational off-highway vehicles.

SEMA-supported legislation (HR 999; S 1040) has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate directing the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study requirements proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs). ROVs generally accommodate a side-by-side driver/passenger in a compartment equipped with roll bars and can attain speeds greater than 30 mph.

The CPSC’s proposal includes restrictive lateral stability and vehicle-handling requirements that could potentially limit vehicle use. SEMA has joined with many other companies and organizations to support an alternative industry ROV standard that is very similar to the CPSC rule but which does not stifle future design innovations. The industry standard recognizes that there are a wide variety of uses and terrains for which ROVs are constructed, from utility to recreation.

For more information, visit the SEMA Action Network website. For details, contact Eric Snyder at erics@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation to prohibit the use, sale or installation of an exhaust system “that has been changed or modified from the factory design so as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the vehicle’s motor” died for the year when the legislature adjourned.

Legislation to prohibit the use, sale or installation of an exhaust system “that has been changed or modified from the factory design so as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the vehicle’s motor” died for the year when the legislature adjourned. The bill would have required that safety-inspection stations perform a test to ensure that a vehicle conforms to the law. Fines for noncompliance would have ranged from $100 to $500 for each offense. The bill is eligible for consideration in 2016.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation to prohibit the use, sale or installation of an exhaust system “that has been changed or modified from the factory design so as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the vehicle’s motor” died for the year when the legislature adjourned.

Legislation to prohibit the use, sale or installation of an exhaust system “that has been changed or modified from the factory design so as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the vehicle’s motor” died for the year when the legislature adjourned. The bill would have required that safety-inspection stations perform a test to ensure that a vehicle conforms to the law. Fines for noncompliance would have ranged from $100 to $500 for each offense. The bill is eligible for consideration in 2016.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.

By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff

Legislation to prohibit the use, sale or installation of an exhaust system “that has been changed or modified from the factory design so as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the vehicle’s motor” died for the year when the legislature adjourned.

Legislation to prohibit the use, sale or installation of an exhaust system “that has been changed or modified from the factory design so as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the vehicle’s motor” died for the year when the legislature adjourned. The bill would have required that safety-inspection stations perform a test to ensure that a vehicle conforms to the law. Fines for noncompliance would have ranged from $100 to $500 for each offense. The bill is eligible for consideration in 2016.

For details, contact Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org.