The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a new safety standard intended to prevent occupants from being ejected through side windows during a vehicle rollover or side-impact crash. Vehicle manufacturers will have flexibility in determining how to meet the standard’s performance requirements. Anticipated automaker alternatives include using advanced window glazing, making side airbags larger and more robust or tethering side airbags to the base of the vehicle’s pillars.

The new safety standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 226, will be phased-in over a four-year period beginning in 2013. Manufacturers of altered vehicles and vehicles produced in multiple stages are given more time to comply. The rule applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs. or less.

The safety standard was required under a 2005 law intended to reduce deaths and injuries associated with rollover and side-impact crashes. The same law spurred other NHTSA safety rules, including installation of electronic stability control systems and side air bags and strengthening of the roof crush standard. While the rule only applies to new-vehicle manufacturers, it is nevertheless illegal to market a product that does not conform to an applicable FMVSS or would take a vehicle out-of-compliance with a safety standard (“make inoperative”).

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established a new safety standard intended to prevent occupants from being ejected through side windows during a vehicle rollover or side-impact crash. Vehicle manufacturers will have flexibility in determining how to meet the standard’s performance requirements. Anticipated automaker alternatives include using advanced window glazing, making side airbags larger and more robust or tethering side airbags to the base of the vehicle’s pillars.

The new safety standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 226, will be phased-in over a four-year period beginning in 2013. Manufacturers of altered vehicles and vehicles produced in multiple stages are given more time to comply. The rule applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 lbs. or less.

The safety standard was required under a 2005 law intended to reduce deaths and injuries associated with rollover and side-impact crashes. The same law spurred other NHTSA safety rules, including installation of electronic stability control systems and side air bags and strengthening of the roof crush standard. While the rule only applies to new-vehicle manufacturers, it is nevertheless illegal to market a product that does not conform to an applicable FMVSS or would take a vehicle out-of-compliance with a safety standard (“make inoperative”).

For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.

As Congress continues the lengthy debate to repeal the costly 1099 reporting requirement included in last year’s health care law, SEMA is again pushing for immediate action. SEMA President and CEO Christopher Kersting sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee requesting immediate consideration of proposed repeal legislation. The Committee has since approved a repeal bill (HR 4) and a funding mechanism (HR 748), sending the important bill to the House floor for a vote. The Senate has already approved a repeal measure.  

Unless the law is repealed, businesses will be required to issue 1099 forms to all vendors from whom they buy more than $600 worth of goods or services in any year, beginning in 2012. The provision has garnered widespread opposition on Capitol Hill, and President Obama called for its repeal during his State of the Union address. The only obstacle to eliminating the provision has been finding an offset to recoup lost revenues. The requirement was intended to prompt vendors receiving 1099 forms to declare and pay taxes on the income. SEMA contends that it will fail to collect much under-reported income, but it will succeed in punishing small-business taxpayers that already comply with U.S. tax law.

SEMA is working independently and with four other industry coalitions to repeal the 1099 provision. For more information, please visit www.semapac.com or contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at dans@sema.org.

As Congress continues the lengthy debate to repeal the costly 1099 reporting requirement included in last year’s health care law, SEMA is again pushing for immediate action. SEMA President and CEO Christopher Kersting sent a letter to the House Ways and Means Committee requesting immediate consideration of proposed repeal legislation. The Committee has since approved a repeal bill (HR 4) and a funding mechanism (HR 748), sending the important bill to the House floor for a vote. The Senate has already approved a repeal measure.  

Unless the law is repealed, businesses will be required to issue 1099 forms to all vendors from whom they buy more than $600 worth of goods or services in any year, beginning in 2012. The provision has garnered widespread opposition on Capitol Hill, and President Obama called for its repeal during his State of the Union address. The only obstacle to eliminating the provision has been finding an offset to recoup lost revenues. The requirement was intended to prompt vendors receiving 1099 forms to declare and pay taxes on the income. SEMA contends that it will fail to collect much under-reported income, but it will succeed in punishing small-business taxpayers that already comply with U.S. tax law.

SEMA is working independently and with four other industry coalitions to repeal the 1099 provision. For more information, please visit www.semapac.com or contact Dan Sadowski, congressional affairs manager, at dans@sema.org.

SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle-registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles, including kits and replicas, and provide for special license plates for these vehicles, has been introduced in the New Mexico 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. The bill has been referred to the New Mexico Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee for consideration.

Among other things, the measure allows for the use of non-original materials, creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble, only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle and provides for a one-time registration and plate fee of $100. 

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

SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle-registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles, including kits and replicas, and provide for special license plates for these vehicles, has been introduced in the New Mexico 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. The bill has been referred to the New Mexico Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee for consideration.

Among other things, the measure allows for the use of non-original materials, creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble, only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle and provides for a one-time registration and plate fee of $100. 

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

SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle-registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles has been reintroduced in the Texas 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.  

The bill has been referred to the Texas House Transportation Committee for consideration. The measure allows for the use of non-original materials and creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. In addition, the bill only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle. 

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

SEMA-model legislation that would create a vehicle-registration classification for street rods and custom vehicles and provide for special license plates for these vehicles has been reintroduced in the Texas 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.  

The bill has been referred to the Texas House Transportation Committee for consideration. The measure allows for the use of non-original materials and creates a titling and registration criterion that assigns these vehicles the same model-year designation as the production vehicle they most closely resemble. In addition, the bill only holds street rods, customs and replicas to the equipment standards specified by law during the model year listed on the title of the vehicle. 

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

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has officially withdrawn its proposal (Chapter Trans 123) to prohibit the registration of imported vehicles manufactured after 1967 that do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). SEMA and the SEMA Action Network opposed the proposal. U.S. law specifically exempts imported vehicles that are 25 years old and older from these safety standards. Trans 123 offered no such reasonable exemption. The regulation would only have permitted the continued registration of subject vehicles that are already legally registered in Wisconsin, but only until they are transferred to a new owner.

Among other things, the proposal failed to recognize the fact that collector vehicles are overwhelmingly well maintained and infrequently driven, was inconsistent with federal law and would prohibit the registration of vehicles coming in from other states that have already been proven safe on U.S. roads.

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

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has officially withdrawn its proposal (Chapter Trans 123) to prohibit the registration of imported vehicles manufactured after 1967 that do not meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). SEMA and the SEMA Action Network opposed the proposal. U.S. law specifically exempts imported vehicles that are 25 years old and older from these safety standards. Trans 123 offered no such reasonable exemption. The regulation would only have permitted the continued registration of subject vehicles that are already legally registered in Wisconsin, but only until they are transferred to a new owner.

Among other things, the proposal failed to recognize the fact that collector vehicles are overwhelmingly well maintained and infrequently driven, was inconsistent with federal law and would prohibit the registration of vehicles coming in from other states that have already been proven safe on U.S. roads.

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