[Twallerich]

THIS JUST IN - This bill passed the CA Assy on Aug 4 and Senate on August 10 and is due to be signed into law next week.

SB 1615, Denham. Air pollution: smog check: out-of-state vehicles. Existing law establishes a motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program (smog check), administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs and the State Air Resources Board, that provides for the inspection of all motor vehicles, except those specifically
exempted from the program, upon registration, biennially upon renewal of registration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain other
circumstances. Existing law also establishes an enhanced motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program (smog check II) in each
urbanized area of the state, any part of which is classified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a serious, severe, or extreme nonattainment area for specified air contaminants.
Existing law also requires the smog tests to include, at minimum, loaded mode dynamometer testing in enhanced areas, and 2-speed testing in all other program areas, and a visual or functional check of emission control devices specified by the department. Existing law exempted from those requirements, until January 1, 2003, any motor vehicle manufactured prior to the 1974 model-year, and after that date, exempts any motor vehicle that is 30 or more model-years old. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to require that, upon registration of a motor vehicle subject to the smog check program that was previously registered outside this state,
a person obtain a valid certificate of compliance or noncompliance.

This bill would repeal that provision requiring a person to obtain a certificate of smog check compliance upon the registration of a motor vehicle that was previously registered outside this state and would instead make those motor vehicles subject to the same requirements as in-state motor vehicles. The bill would make related
conforming changes and delete obsolete references from existing law, and would provide that the deletions of obsolete references from existing law would only become operative if AB 2683 does not become operative, as specified.
Under existing law, 1965 or older model vehicles previously registered outside this state, with certain exceptions, are exempt from existing requirements for obtaining a certificate of smog check compliance or certificate of noncompliance, as appropriate, as a condition of registration of the vehicle in this state.
This bill would revise the exemption to apply instead to the registration of vehicles previously registered outside this state that are 30 or more model years old, unless Assembly Bill 2683 is also enacted, and both bills become effective on or before January 1, 2005, in which case this bill would revise existing law, operative April 1, 2005, to make the exemption applicable to the registration of 1976 and earlier model year vehicles that have been previously registered outside this state.