URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT Emissions Inspection Exemption for Older Cars: Missouri A bill (S.B. 900) has been introduced in the Missouri State Senate to exempt vehicles 26 years old and older from the state's mandatory emissions inspection and maintenance program. We Urge You to Contact Your Missouri State Legislators Immediately in Support of this Bill Existing law in Missouri only exempts vehicles manufactured prior to the 1971 model year from emissions inspection. S.B. 900 provides for a rolling exemption that would exempt all pre-1979 vehicles upon enactment and would pick up an additional model year for each year the law is in effect. S.B. 900 acknowledges the relatively minimal environmental impact of older vehicles, such as the 26-year old and older vehicles targeted for this exemption. Many states have recently enacted similar exemptions, the most recent being in Virginia, Washington State and California. The reason for this trend is clear; such vehicles constitute a small portion of the vehicle fleet and are generally well-maintained and infrequently operated. The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emissions reductions. This strategy not only builds public support for emissions-inspection programs, but also directs the program to where it will be most valuable in cleaning the air. A rolling exemption certainly achieves these ends. Please contact members of the Missouri State Legislature in support of this bill. If you need assistance in determining who your state legislators are, contact the Missouri Legislature's General Information line at 573/751-3824. This information can also be obtained by calling the SEMA Washington, D.C. office at 202/783-6007, ext. 38 or you can access this information via the Internet at http://www.enjoythedrive.com/legislative/contact_legislator.asp. Please fax a copy of your letters to us at 202/783-6024, or mail or e-mail to: SEMA Washington Office 1317 F St., NW, Ste. 500 Washington, D.C. 20004 Attn: Steve McDonald stevem@sema.org
