(Sacramento, CA) - The Senate Committee on Transportation has voted 8-2 to approve Assembly Bill 2683, authored by Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-San Jose). The bill seeks to rid California’s air of tons of harmful pollutants by ending the ‘rolling thirty-year exemption’ on smog checks. The measure would permanently exempt all pre-1976 model year vehicles from smog checks while keeping vehicles with a model year of 1976 or later in the smog check program.

Current law exempts all vehicles that are 30 or more model years old from the smog check program. AB 2683 eliminates this ‘rolling exemption,’ proposing that all vehicles currently in the smog check program would stay in the program, and all vehicles currently exempt from the smog check program would remain exempt.

“Motor vehicles are California’s single greatest source of air pollution,” stated Assemblywoman Lieber. “California’s smog check program is designed to help California achieve clean air by testing emissions coming from cars. Yet, exempting all cars through the rolling 30-year exemption seriously compromises the program’s goal of clean air.”

Older vehicles contribute disproportionately to California’s air pollution problem, despite their relatively low numbers and use. The average 1976-model year car emits about 155 times more hydrocarbons per mile driven than a 2004-model year car. While there are over 24 times more 2004 cars on the road today than 1976 cars, and the 2004 cars are driven 58 times further each day, the emissions from the 1976 cars are between 2 and 3 times greater.

“Air pollution threatens the public health, and causes and contributes to a host of respiratory problems and diseases, including asthma, lung cancer, and heart disease,” continued Assemblywoman Lieber. “For the health of the citizens of California, young and old, we can no longer afford to let gross polluting cars go unchecked.”

AB 2683 is sponsored by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Planning and Conservation League, and California Council for Economic and Environmental Balance. Support includes the American Lung Association, California Farm Bureau, Western States Petroleum Association, Sierra Club, and Sacramento Metro Chamber.

The measure will next be sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

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