 |
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
vehicle emissions program; remote inspections
Purpose
Allows remote vehicle emissions inspection and requires the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (Director) to establish a pilot program for remote emissions testing prior to full-scale implementation.
Background
Prior to annual or biennial vehicle registration, every motor vehicle in Arizona within Area A, in the Phoenix area, or Area B, in the Tucson area, must pass a vehicle emissions inspection for compliance with state ambient air quality standards. The Director adopts minimum emissions standards compliant with the Clean Air Act and statute prescribes methods to comply, based on vehicle class. Motor vehicles manufactured in or before 1966, new vehicles for the first six years of registration, motorcycles and electric vehicles are exempt from emissions requirements.
Under current law, vehicle emissions inspections may be conducted at permitted official emissions inspection stations or fleet emissions inspection stations. A person may have their vehicle inspected within 90 days before the vehicle's registration expires for compliance and may voluntarily have their vehicle inspected at any time, but voluntary testing outside the 90-day window may not be considered for compliance with registration requirements (A.R.S. § 49-542).
Statute authorizes the Director to enter into an emissions inspection agreement to contract out the construction, equipment, establishment, maintenance and operation of official emissions stations, under certain conditions. The contract is limited to a term or duration between five and seven years (A.R.S. § 49-545).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Authorizes the annual or biennial emissions inspection program to provide for remote vehicle inspection.
2. Requires the Director to establish a pilot program for remote vehicle inspections in Area A and Area B for at least three consecutive years completed before July 1, 2025.
3. Requires the Director to submit a summary report of pilot program results and collected data to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Office of the Governor upon completion of the pilot program and before the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality implements a full-scale remote vehicle inspection program.
4. Requires the Director to certify that, based on pilot program data, a full-scale remote vehicle inspection program will increase efficiency and reduce costs of the vehicle emissions inspection program.
5. Allows voluntary inspection prior to 90 days before a vehicle registration expiration date for compliance with emissions testing requirements if the inspection meets conditions prescribed by the Director.
6. Replaces the requirement that an emissions inspection agreement contain a contract term or duration of between five and seven years with the requirement that the contract term or duration be up to seven years.
7. Makes technical changes.
8. Contains a technical conditional enactment.
9. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
NREW 2/12/19 DP 12-0-0-1
3rd Read 3/6/19 55-5-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 11, 2019
KN/gs