September 2, 2010—The California Legislature proposed a change to the “Smog Check” Act that would get more high-polluting vehicles off the road.
The current bill only permits vehicles that have failed the smog check every other year to be retired with compensation. The new bill would allow cars to be inspected every year with a goal of retiring 11,500 cars each year and allow for car owners to voluntarily retire a car early.
Additionally, the new changes would compensate low-income families for repairs needed on a car, according to an ASA press release_notes. The current bill has only retired 22,331 cars, falling short of the state’s 60,000-car goal.
The current law provides $1,500 to the low-income car owner and $1,000 to all other owners. The bill is awaiting approval by the governor, according to ASA.
To view the entire bill, go to asashop.org.