President Obama signed into law a $40 million investment in a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program that should spur $1.4 billion in small business loans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) moved closer to establishing a consumer information system to rate the fuel economy, safety and durability characteristics of most replacement tires.

California legislation (A.B. 1740) to eliminate the requirement that specially constructed vehicle registrations be limited to only the first 500 vehicles per year was not approved by the Transportation Committee on March 22. However, a modified version of the bill will be reconsidered by the committee on April 5, 2010.

Legislation that originally sought to prohibit public road use of a motor vehicle equipped to supply the engine with nitrous oxide was approved by the Mississippi Legislature and sent to the governor for his signature and enactment into law.

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on legislation that would create an exemption to allow companies to market collision repair parts without infringing a design patent. A design patent covers the ornamental design for an object having practical utility for a 14-year term.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate’s version of health care legislation by a partisan vote of 219-212. President Obama signed the bill mandating health care coverage for most Americans into law.

The House Resources Committee held a hearing on the “Colorado Wilderness Act,” a bill to designate 850,000 acres in 34 separate areas as wilderness.

SEMA-opposed legislation to provide that the noise from a motor-vehicle exhaust system that has been deemed “disturbing or unreasonably loud” constitutes the crime of disturbing the peace is dead for the year.