BAR outlines four bills and multiple regulatory packages ahead of May and August legislative deadlines

Holly Heling, of the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s executive office, told advisory members the bureau is tracking four bills that could change repair shop obligations and consumer notices this year. She said Senate Bill 988 — the Motor Vehicle Glass Act — would “require shops to notify customers if their vehicle has an ADAS system” and provide written calibration outcomes on itemized invoices, and that the bill was recently re‑referred to appropriations (slide materials current as of April 9).

Heling summarized three other measures under BAR review: SB 1112 (recently amended, raising fees and fines for towing companies and storage facilities found unlawful); SB 1392 (redefining collector motor vehicle exemptions to extend biennial smog check relief for older vehicles and clarifying abbreviated smog inspections); and SB 1445 (a technical cleanup to explicitly allow written electronic estimates). She emphasized calendar deadlines the bureau is tracking: May 29 for intra‑house passage, Aug. 31 for final passage in each house, Sept. 30 for the governor’s signing deadline and statutes taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Beyond legislation, Heling briefed the group on BAR’s regulatory work. Two packages — biometric device updates and change‑of‑address requirements — have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law and will take effect July 1. A storage‑fee package would require ARDs (automotive repair dealers) to post and annually report daily storage fees, provide itemized invoices, and store vehicles at the business’s primary address; BAR staff said public workshops and 45‑day/15‑day comment periods are complete and final submission to OAL is planned this summer. BAR also previewed an airbag‑safety package (prohibiting previously deployed or tampered airbags and requiring OEM‑authorized parts), a towing authorization package (requiring prior customer authorization and separate towing documents for motor‑carrier permit holders), and a business‑information package that would require phone numbers and business email addresses on registrations and broaden the definition of internet advertising to social media and email.

Advisory members asked where to find an up‑to‑date BAR rulemaking index; Heling said regulation packages that are in public comment are posted but agreed to make links more prominent. Members also pressed for clarification about the collector‑vehicle proposal and its visual‑inspection nuance; BAR staff said that sponsors have amended language to address the current statutory tension in qualifying vehicles for abbreviated inspection.

BAR said it will continue outreach as packages move toward OAL approval and reiterated that final statutory dates could affect implementation timing.