Last month, we focused our SEMA Law & Order Update on state-level legislative actions in 2016. This month, we’ve moved on to the big picture, and the three legislative matters that caused the biggest stir in the automotive community.

Those focused around the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wanting to outlaw the conversion of any street car into a race car, California aiming to expand their vehicle retirement program, and Utah imploring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to restore the salt at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The EPA Proposal and Results

In July 2015, the EPA introduced a proposal that, if voted for and enacted into law, would outlaw any vehicle that was originally intended for on-road use to be converted to a race car. Now, as you know, this practice has been going on for decades, with just about every form of racing we enjoy today starting out with converted factory vehicles. Under the proposal, it would have also been illegal to sell or provide any performance-related products to be used in the conversion or running of a factory vehicle turned into a race car.

The automotive world showed up in force to proclaim their disapproval to the proposal, and thousands of signatures were collected on a February 2016 White House petition, countering the EPA’s motion in just a matter of a couple of weeks. Even some state legislations got in on the action, including West Virginia and Ohio, where the state’s Senates introduced resolutions opposing the EPA’s suggestion.

In March 2016, Congress proposed the RPM Act (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports), which would allow for factory-built street vehicles to continue to be transformed into race cars like they have historically been. Since then, over 200,000 letters have been sent to Congress in support of the RPM Act. As a result, 148 Congressional lawmakers have signed on to cosponsor the RPM Act.

Since encountering so much opposition, the EPA has formally withdrawn their proposal, but is still trying to push for the discontinuation of factory vehicles being modified for race purposes under the Clean Air Act. The RPM Act addresses this, and states that even under the Clean Air Act, there is allowance for factory vehicles to be changed into race vehicles.

Going into 2017 with a new president, the SEMA Action Network has vowed they will continue to work with Congress and the cosponsors of the RPM Act – as well as President Donald Trump’s administration, to keep the momentum of the RPM Act going – with the end goal being that it be signed into law. We certainly made our voices heard as a community,  and have seen a small victory in the face of the EPA’s proposal. But we can’t let up yet on our push against the EPA’s motion. For more information on the fight for race cars and what you can do to make your opinion heard, be sure to visit SEMA’s dedicated RPM Act information site here.

California’s Proposal to Expand the Vehicle Retirement Program

While the industry was fighting against the EPA’s proposed ban on converting street cars to race cars, a bill was introduced in California that aimed to expand the state’s Vehicle Retirement Program. Although this was a state-based proposal, many of us remember the federal Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) program of 2009, also know as “Cash for Clunkers.”
While seemingly in good taste, offering significant incentives for people to turn in their high-emissions, run-down vehicles for replacement with new vehicles, this program undoubtedly got rid of many classic, antique, and otherwise collectable vehicles in the market. With them, went thousands of spare (some very rare) parts that could have been used for restorations.

California took this program a step further, enacting their own Vehicle Retirement Program through the Air Resources Board (CARB). This program aides the state in the retirement and replacement of older passenger vehicles and trucks. With the proposed bill, which came at the end of March 2016, the Air Resources Board and the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) would be required to “set specific and measurable goals for the program’s expansion” beginning in the 2016/2017 fiscal year.

Essentially, the bill would make it so the agencies involved met certain quotas of vehicles they “retired and replaced.” That would undoubtedly lead to even more historically significant vehicles being disposed of. That not only affects Californians, but also the rest of the classic car industry.

Luckily, the bill, which was approved by a number of California legislatures and committees after months of consideration, died when it failed passage by the Senate Committee near the end of the year!

Utah Implores the BLM to “Save the Salt”

The Save the Salt Foundation has been working to protect and restore the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah since 2011. While the state of Utah has been involved in the project to a degree, it wasn’t until 2016 that Utah legislators came together and introduced a bill that urged the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to restore the salt at the historically significant landmark.

The BLM has maintained ownership/responsibility for the Bonneville Salt Flats since 1946. But although the area is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, millions of tons of salt have been moved from the salt flats under the BLM’s watchful eye. The bill that was introduced, aimed to put action into motion in an attempt to restore the salt lost to the historic salt flat racing area in cooperation with the Utah Alliance, Save the Salt Foundation, and other important stakeholders.

The bill passed the floor of both the Utah House and Senate, and was sent to Governor Gary Herbert for signature into law in March of 2016. By the end of that month, the bill was signed into law, which means we should see more work being put in by the BLM, the U.S. government, and other organizations to replenish the salt at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the coming year. The bill also urges the U.S. and Utah Congress’ to take action to “ensure that the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway is restored to safe racing conditions.”

We got a lot accomplished in 2016 for the betterment of our hobby, but the fight is never over. To stay up-to-date on the above issues, as well as other legislative actions that come up in the future, be sure to sign up for free news alerts from the SEMA Action Network here. Check back with us at Rod Authority as weel, as we will continue to bring you the most important updates in your favorite digital hot rod magazine in 2017.