Legislative News: Federal Bill to Reduce Ethanol Mandates (& Other News)

Editor’s Note: OnAllCylinders is dedicated to keeping enthusiasts informed about legislation that could affect their hobby. We’ve created a semi-regular feature, “Legislative News,” to highlight important government bills and other legislation that could positively or negatively impact hot rodding, racing, or off-roading.

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SEMA-supported legislation (HR 1315) has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to cap the amount of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline at 10 percent and prohibit the sale of E15 (gasoline with 15 percent ethanol).

The bill would also eliminate the Renewable Fuel Standard’s (RFS) mandate that 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol be blended into the U.S. fuel supply each year. While the RFS was intended to reduce the nation’s dependency on foreign oil, the 2007 law has translated into ever-increasing corn production so that the ethanol byproduct can be blended into gasoline. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has turned to sales of E15 to achieve the law’s artificial mandate. Ethanol, especially in higher concentrations, such as E15, can cause metal corrosion and dissolve certain plastics and rubbers in automobiles produced before 2001 that were not constructed with ethanol-resistant materials.

SEMA has joined with more than 50 other organizations from the auto/boat industries to the food, energy and environmental community to support passage of the legislation.

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Massachusetts Bill Would Require Emissions Inspections for Antique Motor Vehicles

Legislation (H.B. 1805) has been introduced to create a separate definition for “antique motor vehicles” and require that they undergo annual emissions inspections to ensure that they meet emissions standards in effect at the time of manufacture. Massachusetts already exempts all vehicles manufactured before 2003 from emissions tests. The bill also allows the state to adopt additional standards to ensure that other parts or components of the antique motor vehicle are in good working order and that it is safe to operate.

Learn more about H.B. 1805 here.

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Nevada Bill Would Add Additional Requirements for Classic Vehicle Registration

Legislation (S.B. 152) to alter the requirements for vehicles eligible for registration as “classics” has been introduced in the Nevada Senate. Under the bill, an owner of a vehicle with a “CLASSIC ROD” or “CLASSIC CAR” special license plate who is seeking an emissions-inspection exemption must provide a verification of the odometer reading of the vehicle. These verifications would be completed for a fee by an approved inspector at certain emissions-compliance stations to determine that the vehicle was driven less than 5,000 miles the previous year. The bill also requires proof that the vehicle is covered only by a collector motor-vehicle liability policy.

Learn more about S.B. 152 here.