As the new year begins, new and returning members of Congress convene in Washington, D.C., to begin the 113th Congress.

After weeks of negotiations, Congress passed legislation to avoid a series of expiring tax credits and government spending cuts known as the “fiscal cliff.”

As state legislators and governors return to their respective capitols this year, many will find themselves among political allies as each state progressively inches further from the center.

Thanks to the efforts of SEMA, the Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) and a coalition of other land use groups, continued off-highway vehicle (OHV) access to Johnson Valley, California, has been guaranteed for now by the U.S. Congress.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lowered by 20% the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particle pollution (PM2.5), from 15 micrograms to 12 micrograms per cubic meter averaged over a year. The EPA did not change the standard for coarse particle pollution (PM10), which remains at 150 micrograms averaged over a 24-hour period. 

SEMA has joined with a number of other trade associations to sponsor “Smarter Fuel Future,” a website intended to raise awareness about the economic and environmental threats posed by the United States’ current biofuels policy. The policy has led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to permit the sale of gasoline with 15% ethanol content (E15) in order to meet artificial demands to sell biofuels.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has restored the blue and green color boundaries within the federal lighting standard.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted into law in 2010 and is being slowly implemented over eight years. Several key provisions affecting small businesses and individuals take effect in 2013. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is proposing to mandate installation of event data recorders (black boxes) on all new light-duty automobiles as of September 2014.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has set the standard business-mileage deduction at 56.5 cents a mile for 2013. The rate is one cent higher than in 2012.