Senate Transportation advances amended S.211 to study and set path for biennial vehicle inspections

Damian Leonard of the Office of Legislative Council told the Senate Transportation Committee that a strike-all amendment to S.211 would require a report and an implementation plan to transition pleasure cars to safety-and-emissions inspections once every two years beginning in January.

"This is a strike all amendment of S.211 that would require a report on 2 year motor vehicle inspections, and an implementation plan," Leonard said as he outlined the new draft.

The draft adopted several new elements: a requirement that the report propose an inspection fee structure and address different fees by vehicle class; an analysis of anticipated state revenue impacts during any transition to biennial inspections and options to mitigate those impacts; proposed amendments to mileage-based user-fee (MBUF) reporting for battery-electric vehicles in years they are not inspected; and language carried forward from earlier drafts related to enforcement and testing.

Committee members spent substantial time debating whether the bill should require actions that would "ensure" Vermont remains in compliance with the federal Clean Air Act or instead direct the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to identify actions and any additional issues that could…