SEMA-Endorsed Legislation to Protect Vehicle Modifications and ADAS Functionality Moves to House

Legislation endorsed by Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) to protect vehicle owners’ right to modify their cars and trucks is advancing out of committee and heading to a full vote in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a news release. 

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce passed H.R. 7389, Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026, Section 221 of which is an amended version of the bipartisan, SEMA-backed ADAS Functionality and Integrity Act. The bill would ensure that vehicle owners and the automotive aftermarket industry have necessary information needed to ensure advanced safety systems continue to operate as intended after common modifications of cars and trucks, including the addition of wraps, bumpers with winches, or even bike racks.  

“This is an important day for vehicle owners, the automotive aftermarket, and our collective efforts to ensure all vehicles are as safe as their technology intends,” said SEMA Senior Vice President-Public & Government Affairs Karen Bailey-Chapman. “Americans deserve the protection that advanced safety systems enable, especially when they modify their vehicles to support their businesses, family needs, and recreation choices. SEMA is thrilled that this bill will receive important consideration by the full House of Representatives, and we look to keeping it moving all the way to the Senate, and, eventually, President Donald Trump.”

About the Bill 

Sec. 221 of H.R. 7389 requires NHTSA to study the impact that common modifications have on ADAS calibration, and it empowers the agency to establish ADAS guidelines to create modification ranges and tolerances for new vehicles based on the results of the study. 

• Sec. 221 (a)(1) provides NHTSA with 18 months to complete a study and publish a report on its website that reviews the impact of vehicle modifications on ADAS functionality. 

• NHTSA’s study must look at the 10 most common vehicle modifications and look at how they impact a vehicle’s ADAS performance. 

• The report must provide information necessary to create industry guidelines, including allowable modification ranges and vehicle tolerances, taking into consideration ride height, wheel and tire dimensions, and sensor and camera function.  

• NHTSA also would be required to review the information necessary to develop guidelines for proper calibration procedures of ADAS and other vehicle dynamics systems following modification and customization. 

Sec. 221 (b) of H.R. 7389 provides NHTSA with two years after publishing a report as required by (a) to issue ADAS guidelines if the agency determines that they are feasible and practical. It also enables NHTSA to develop a process for automakers to provide the agency with modification ranges for their vehicles. 

Currently, there are no standards to properly calibrate the sensors and cameras that support ADAS features after a vehicle has been customized or modified. Beginning in model year 2029, all new passenger cars and light trucks must be equipped with certain ADAS technology, specifically automatic emergency braking under NHTSA’s FMVSS 127 rulemaking. The ADAS Functionality and Integrity Act is critical to ensure that these advanced safety systems continue to work properly, even after vehicles are repaired or modified, and that pathways to compliance are clear as ADAS becomes standard on every vehicle.