Images: SEMA

We will never be able to come to a 100-percent consensus on who our next presidential candidates should be in this country, but one thing we can all agree on is that we don’t want the government interfering with our beloved automotive hobby. Luckily, the SEMA Action Network has our backs – promoting pro-hobby legislation and speaking up against proposed rules and regulations that could negatively affect what we do with our classic cars. Check out the latest SEMA Law & Order updates below.

Updates:

With so many legislatures adjourning for the season, there are fewer updates to report this month, and that’s a good thing!

First off, we hope that everyone took part in a local or national celebration for Collector Car Appreciation Day, which SEMA deemed to be July 8th this year. In addition to the previously acknowledged states, counties, and provinces that honored the Collector Car Appreciation Day on July 8th or another date this last month, the Province of Saskatchewan declared the month of July “Automotive Heritage Month,” the City of Calgari acknowledged the date as Collector Car Appreciation Day, and the SEMA Action Network was able to secure a U.S. Senate Resolution designating July 8th an official day of celebration. Be sure to tell us about the Collector Car Appreciation Day celebrations you attended in the comments below.

In previous months, we told you about a proposed bill in California that would allow more classic vehicles to be run with year-of-manufacture plates. This would not only allow more model year vehicles to be declared collector vehicles but also allow a broader range of year-of-manufacture plates to be used and “recycled,” if you will. This bill has made some progress since our last update, as both the Assembly Committee and the Appropriations Committee have approved the bill. It will now move on for further approval.

We also told you about a disturbing bill proposed in California in previous months, which aimed to expand the state’s vehicle retirement program. Fortunately, although the bill was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee, it failed to be passed by the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

Had the bill been approved by the Environmental Committee and gone on to be passed into law, it would have depleted the classic vehicle scene of valuable and historic restoration pieces that are vital to the continued existence of our hobby. It would have also mandated a system be put in place to continue to “retire” older passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks.

Call to Action

Your first call to action this month comes in regards to a bill proposed in New Jersey, which aims to establish a vehicle registration classification system for street rods and customs. Under the proposed bill, street rods and customs that meet the state’s age and use perimeters for said vehicle designations, would be provided with specialty license plates. Kit cars and replica vehicles would also be able to receive a certificate of title with the model year the vehicle most closely represents. The SEMA Action network encourages you to speak up to New Jersey representatives in support of the bill.

Your other call to action this month from the SEMA Action Network is in regards to a proposed bill in California that, if passed into law, would merge the California Off Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) program with the Parks and Recreation department. Whether you’re into classic or more modern offroad vehicles, this bill could be devastating to the offroad community as it would make it possible for land-use fees and other moneys gathered from the use of OHV areas in the state to be allocated elsewhere in the parks department rather than going back to managing and maintaining OHV areas.

Don’t forget to turn up the heat and let your legislators know how you feel about the hobby, and above all else, enjoy your ride.