Auto Repair
AV Bill in Washington State Scheduled for Jan. 30 Hearing
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation A bill introduced in the state of Washington’s legislature would create a new comprehensive regulatory framework that allows autonomous vehicles (AV) to operate on roads in the state without a human driver. Currently, AVs may only operate in the state under limited testing purposes. The bill -…
Read MoreRhode Island Bill would Limit Insurers’ Ability to Deny Coverage for OEM Repair Parts
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation A bill was introduced in the Rhode Island Legislature that would restrict insurance companies’ ability to refuse to cover OEM repair parts in certain situations. Under the current law in Rhode Island, insurers are not allowed to require the use of non-OEM parts on vehicles that are…
Read MoreASA, OEMs, and SCRS Offer Themselves as a Resource to Congress and Constituents
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation The Automotive Service Association (ASA), the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Alliance), and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) have sent a joint letter to Congress offering to assist constituents who are encountering difficulties locating vehicle diagnostic and repair data. The letter acknowledges that the rapid pace…
Read MoreBill Introduced in Hawaii would Lower Thresholds for Mandatory Overtime Pay
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation A bill introduced in Hawaii’s legislature on January 19, 2024 would lower the working hours thresholds for an employee to be legally entitled to overtime compensation. If passed, Senate Bill (SB) 2610 – which was introduced by State Senator Henry Aquino (D) – would mandate: At least…
Read MoreBiden Admin Awards $623 Million in Grants to Expand EV Charging Infrastructure
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation The Biden Administration has announced that it has awarded grants worth a combined $623 million to help expand EV charging infrastructure in the United States. Administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the grants are funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated…
Read MoreNHTSA Begins Effort to Require Impaired Driving Prevention Tech in New Cars
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally launched an effort to require that drunk or impaired driving prevention technologies come standard in new vehicles. In its advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, the agency requests the public’s input on the information…
Read MoreU.S. Senators Raise Alarm on Alleged Tesla Safety Flaws
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation United States Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) have sent a letter to Elon Musk following a report from Reuters on Tesla vehicles’ safety flaws. In their letter, the Senators note that, “[t]he report details complaints about suspension connection points, including fore and aft links,…
Read MoreU.S. Senate Bill would Weaken Federal Insurance Office’s Authority
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation A bill titled the “Insurance Data Protection Act” (S. 3349) introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) would restrict the Federal Insurance Office’s (FIO) ability to collect information directly from insurance companies. It would also rescind the director of FIO’s subpoena authority. Housed in…
Read MoreLiDAR Imports and Exports to and from China Scrutinized by U.S. House Members
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation A bipartisan group of twenty members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to the Secretaries of the Departments of Defense, Commerce, and the Treasury raising concern with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology imports and exports to and from China. The letter – led…
Read MoreFTC Returns Additional $857K to Those Harmed by Junk Auto Fee Practices
House Committees Schedule Markups on Key Automotive Legislation The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it is disbursing more than $857,000 cumulatively in its second round of compensatory payments to customers harmed by Napleton Automotive Group’s illegal junk fees and discriminatory practices. Napleton Automotive Group, which is based in Illinois, is the thirteenth largest dealership…
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