From the SEMA website:
URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT
Illinois Introduces Bill to Exempt Older Cars from Emissions Inspection
A bill (S.B. 2126) has been introduced in the Illinois State Senate by Senator Edward Petka to exempt all vehicles more than 25 years old from the state’s mandatory emissions inspection and maintenance program.
We Urge You to Contact Your Illinois State Legislators Immediately in Support of S.B. 2126
Existing law in Illinois only exempts vehicles of model year 1967 or before from emissions inspection.
Existing law in Illinois already exempts antiques, custom vehicles and street rods, but only if they are limited-use cars.
S.B. 2126 provides for a rolling exemption that would exempt all vehicles more than 25-years old upon enactment and would pick up an additional model year for each year the law is in effect.
S.B. 2126 acknowledges the relatively minimal environmental impact of older vehicles, such as those targeted for this exemption.
Many states have recently enacted similar exemptions. The reason for this trend is clear; such vehicles constitute a small portion of the vehicle fleet and are generally well-maintained and infrequently operated.
The idea behind exempting any class of vehicles is to reduce costs while not losing appreciable emissions reductions. This strategy not only builds public support for emissions-inspection programs, but also directs the program to where it will be most valuable in cleaning the air. A rolling exemption certainly achieves these ends.
Please contact members of the Illinois State Legislature in Springfield to request their support of this bill. If you need assistance in determining who your state legislators are, contact the Illinois State Legislature’s General Information line at 217/782-2000. This information can also be obtained by calling the SEMA Washington, D.C. office at 202/783-6007, ext. 38 or you can access this information via the Internet at http://www.semasan.com/san/ContactYourLegislator.aspx Please fax a copy of your letters to us at 202/783-6024, or mail or e-mail to:
SEMA Washington Office
1317 F St., NW, Ste. 500
Washington, D.C. 20004
Attn: Steve McDonald
stevem@sema.org
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