Debate over inspection‑fee cap: sponsors argue market pricing, opponents cite consumer protection; roll call fails

Representative Shellenberger presented vehicle inspection fee amendments that would remove the statutory cap on safety‑inspection prices for the small subset of vehicles that still require a safety inspection (salvaged and branded titles). He said the statutory cap (currently $40) forces many shops to stop offering inspections and leaves inadequate time for thorough reviews of damaged vehicles.

Lawmakers pressed the sponsor on competitive effects and consumer protection. Representative Peterson and others asked whether increasing the cap or setting a higher statutory rate might better balance market access and avoid monopolistic price spikes. Representative Faye and Representative Thurston asked for data on what share of inspections are mandated by statute (salvaged/branded titles) to understand market impacts; the sponsor said the mandated share is small but that exact counts were not available at the hearing.

Representative Kristofferson moved to favorably recommend the inspection‑fee amendment. An initial voice vote indicated support, but committee leadership called a roll call due to many remote participants. The roll call showed a split outcome—the measure passed among Senate members present but failed in the House panel on the roll call count and therefore did not pass out of committee.

Committee members asked staff to provide data on how many inspections are mandated by statute, the number of shops offering inspection services, and whether raising a statutory cap instead of removing it entirely would address customer protection concerns. The sponsor said he would take follow‑up questions and supply additional information.