Senate Committee Amends Bills Making Changes To Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, But It Doesn’t Address The Real Issue

On June 25, the Senate Transportation Committee amended and again reported out a 5-bill package making changes to the state’s vehicle emissions inspection program, but the changes do not avoid the need to amend federal law to make the proposed changes.  

Without changes in federal law, the bills direct PennDOT and DEP to take unlawful actions.

The bills include--

-- Senate Bill 742 (Ward-R-Westmoreland) exempting vehicles from emissions testing for 8 years after manufacturing;

-- Senate Bill 743 (Ward-R-Westmoreland) replace annual emission inspections with inspections every 2 years for vehicles more than 8 years old;

-- Senate Bill 744 (Langerholc- R-Bedford) exempt Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, and Westmoreland Counties from the vehicle emissions testing; and

-- Senate Bill 745 (Stefano-R-Fayette) replace the tailpipe test in Pittsburgh and the 2-speed idle test via a dynamometer/treadmill in the Philadelphia region with a gas cap test and a visual inspection for model year 1994-95 vehicles.

Senate Bill 746 (Vogel-R-Beaver) extend the transition date for existing emissions inspection stations that are required by the Department of Transportation to obtain new emissions testing equipment by November 1, 2019 to July 1, 2021 remains on the Senate Calendar. [This bill does not direct PennDOT to do an unlawful act.]

This is the second time the Committee considered the bills which now go to the full Senate for action.

Sen. Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-6063 or send email to: kward@pasen.gov.  Sen. John Sabatina (D-Philadelphia) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-9608 or send email to: john.sabatina@pasenate.com.

(Photo: Senators Ward, Langerholc, Stephano, Vogel.)
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Senate Republicans Move Bills Misleading Public On Changes That Can Be Made To Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program Without A Change In Federal Law