BAR staff review active bills and pending regulation packages affecting smog check, storage and battery disposal

SACRAMENTO — Bureau of Automotive Repair officials briefed the BAR advisory group on April 28 about bills the bureau is tracking this year and on multiple regulation packages the bureau has adopted or plans to file with the Office of Administrative Law.

The update covered five bills that staff said they are watching closely and several rulemaking efforts at various stages of completion. Holly Helsing and Kayla Shelton of the bureau’s executive office reviewed key deadlines for the 2025 session and walked the group through the bills and regulatory packages on the bureau’s tracking list.

Why it matters: The legislation and rule changes the bureau described would affect what vehicles must get smog checks and how repair shops and towing/storage operators disclose fees. Changes could shift inspection burdens and create new reporting or documentation duties for shops and companies that store wrecked vehicles.

Helsing told the group that June 6 is the last day for each house to pass bills introduced in that house, Sept. 12 is the last day for either house to pass bills introduced in the other house, and Oct. 12 is the deadline for the governor to sign or veto bills.

Bills highlighted by staff included: - AB 987 — staff said the bill changed on April 20 and would expand the list of "presumptively unreasonable" fees related to vehicle storage and towing, for example fees charged on state holidays that exceed the posted daily storage rate and towing fees when owners are directed by law enforcement to remove vehicles during a state or local emergency. Helsing said the bill was re-referred to the Transportation Committee on April 22. - SB 712 — would change the collector vehicle smog exemption so vehicles 35 model years or older would be fully exempt. Helsing said SB 712 was set for an April 28 hearing and had already passed the policy committee. - SB 1368 — would change the biannual inspection exemption from vehicles manufactured before 1976 to vehicles that are 30 or more model years old; a hearing previously scheduled for April 1 was canceled at the author's request. - SB 615 — addresses end-of-life management for traction batteries and may require reporting to the Department of Toxic Substances; staff said it was re-referred to the Appropriations Committee. - SB 861 — a technical cleanup updating cross references to the Business and Professions Code regarding vehicle safety systems inspection stations and technicians; staff said it was re-referred to the Judiciary Committee with a recommendation for the consent calendar.

On regulations, Helsing and Shelton described packages recently adopted and those still pending: an omnibus code-cleanup tied to the sunset of a prior program and adoption of vehicle safety systems inspection rules (effective April 1); a technical cleanup to align terminology for bureau-accepted educational certifications (effective April 1); a tear-down disclosure package that clarifies estimate and documentation requirements and includes requirements to present towing and storage fees separately; a smog check readiness-monitor limits package that would remove outdated readiness subdivisions and prohibit passing an OBD2 inspection if the OBD2 system reports incomplete readiness; a storage-fees package that would consolidate storage law into a single regulatory section, require itemized invoices and an annual reporting of a facility’s current daily storage rate, and require a bureau web tool showing average/median daily storage rates by locale; and a mobile-and-referral ARD package that would define geographic radius for “mobile” repairs and clarify when referral-based businesses qualify as ARDs. The storage package and tear-down disclosure package were described as near submission to OAL for review.

Advisory group members asked about timing and advocacy. Shelton said the bureau ordinarily takes positions late in the legislative cycle, typically at the governor’s desk, though staff said they sometimes provide technical assistance earlier at the request of authors or committee staff. On timing, staff estimated a storage-related 45-day public comment period would likely start in late June.

Quotes and source attribution: Clay League, Smog Check and IT Deputy Chief, said the bureau will "try to provide the most current information on the slides" but cautioned the legislative calendar can change quickly. Helsing noted the bureau had submitted the tear-down disclosure package to the Department of Consumer Affairs and that it had been sent to OAL on the 16th of the month.

Ending: Staff said they will notify interested parties and advisory group members when rulemaking notices are posted and that the bureau typically posts updated materials on its website. The advisory group asked how the bureau will notify stakeholders when public comment windows open; staff said advisory members on the bureau’s interested‑parties list would receive notice.