Support CA Bill SB712 in 2 Minutes!

[88Sedan]

The Leno's Law proposed bill SB712 would remove smog requirements for classic cars in the state. For detailed information you can do a search online, but the latest draft removed the stipulation requiring a classic car insurance policy! For CA residents to show support you can use this link to find your senate rep and email them.

https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/

Feel free to copy the letter I sent below this, you can edit it as you see fit. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for others to show support hence the inclusion of my letter to save time for others.

This is in support of SB712 or "Leno's Law". Our state has seriously diminished the ability to own and drive classic vehicles due to the strict smog rules. Many older vehicles' smog components are increasingly difficult or impossible to source, including sometimes engines themselves and/or their parts--meaning newer (more efficient) engines could be a solution. However under current engine change smog laws, it is often impossible or impractical to install a newer engine. This is because it can be impossible to retrofit a more modern engine with every smog component that the engine/chassis was designed with. We should not blindly embrace the 'throw-away' lifestyle/society and do something to keep classic cars on the road. Outside of CA there is a blossoming aftermarket parts industry that could stimulate our state economy if the parts were legal to sell here. Classic vehicles also make up a small proportion of cars on the road and freeing them of smog rules would have minimal impact to our state. It is time California embraces car culture again and updates its out of touch policies regarding older vehicles and smog tests.

[88Sedan]

They vote on this within a week, please send a letter of support if you haven't already.

[E30SPDFRK]

Thank you for posting this. We've been telling customers the same thing and encouraging them to talk to their representatives.

I am in full support of all things that make our environment better, and always encourage people to fix their emissions equipment rather than delete it, but the hoops that California makes you jump through currently just to adhere to the laws are insane. It doesn't matter if your car passes a sniffer test if the catalytic converter you installed doesn't have a CA approval for your car, and some cars there just aren't any CA approved parts available, new or used. The current laws aren't about making the environment better, they're purely for profit.

This law would help grow the used car market, the independent repair industry, the aftermarket part industry, would encourage more people to try out classic car ownership, would bring many vehicle registrations back to California, and would save much-needed money for many poorer households.

[88Sedan]

Yes to all of that! Appreciate your reply.

[MrBurgundy]

Man, I hope this passes....

Feeling good about it this time around.

[88Sedan]

It would be quite the game changer for us in CA. I have to change motors in the future due to a leaky HG and this passing would let me go standalone ecu, bigger cam and full exhaust on the stroker build I'm planning and be perfectly legal.

[2mAn]

Sounds like something passed, but not the OG bill... shame but a small win is still a win

[88Sedan]

Yea they added the requirement for classic car insurance back into it thanks to some lovely lobbying. It's lame, really restricts how the car can be used, garage requirement etc.

[AWDBOB]

I thought the new version of the bill exempts 1976-80, and then adds a year of exemption for 5yrs until 1985 models are exempt.

aka 86+ will never be exempt

[reelizmpro]

I thought the new version of the bill exempts 1976-80, and then adds a year of exemption for 5yrs until 1985 models are exempt.

aka 86+ will never be exempt

This is correct, they gutted the bill which basically was a rolling 35(!) year exemption. All this just to exempt 45-50 year old seldom driven cars is mindboggling. Then to only have it roll to 1986 is a slap in the face.

[MrBurgundy]

Yeah total waste of time to even write this up.

ehhhhhh, if its too good be to be true.

[88Sedan]

I want to know which forces redirected the original bill (when they removed all the other BS) but we'll probably never know.

I looked in to some of the data used as reasons NOT to pass the bill, and it seemed fudged or inaccurate to me. Specifically the calculations for NOx creation, what they deemed the average for older cars. Anyone that knows what they're talking about knows this varies greatly vehicle to vehicle, what they reported isn't good data IMO.