Small Business
California Sends Bill to Governor Creating EV Economic Opportunity Zone in Riverside County
test title The California Legislature sent to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk a bill – Assembly Bill (AB) 2448 – that would create an “Electric Vehicle Economic Opportunity Zone” in Riverside County. It would create “programs to make electric vehicle manufacturing jobs and education more accessible to lower income communities.” It would also “authorize the agency…
Read MoreASA Adopts Position Statement on Consumer Vehicle Choice
test title The Automotive Service Association (ASA) strongly supports the rights of consumers to purchase vehicles that best fit the needs of themselves, their families, and their businesses. We are concerned that the “Multi-Pollutant Emissions Standards for Model Years 2027 and Later Light-Duty and Medium-Duty Vehicles” – regulation finalized by the United States Environmental Protection…
Read MoreFederal Agency Issues Warning on Substandard Aftermarket Airbags
test title The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a consumer alert regarding substandard replacement airbag inflators that have killed three people and severely wounded two others. In its alert, NHTSA explained that these defective parts were installed after the vehicle in which it was installed was involved in a crash, replacing the OEM…
Read MoreAV Association Releases Report Touting AV Road Record
test title The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA) has released a report that touts the safety record and recent milestones in the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) industry. The report notes that AVs have now driven nearly 70 million miles on roads in the United States. It also notes that the number of miles driven by AVs…
Read MoreKentucky Governor Vetoes AV Legislation
test title For the second year in a row, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) has vetoed a bill passed by the legislature that would have allowed autonomous vehicles to operate on the roads in the state. The State House passed the bill – HB 7 – on a 61-31 vote, while the State Senate passed…
Read MoreUS EPA Issues Final Rule on Vehicle Tailpipe Emissions
test title The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued its finalized rule on vehicle emissions. It requires that, across an automaker’s entire fleet, the vehicles’ emissions are reduced 49 percent on average from 2027 to 2032. This rule was initially proposed in the spring of 2023. At the time, the EPA estimated that…
Read MoreFTC to Hold Virtual Informal Hearing on Proposed Rule Prohibiting Junk Fees
test title The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it will hold an informal virtual hearing on April 24, 2024 at 10AM E.T. as part of its review of its proposed rule prohibiting “junk fees.” ASA provided comments to the FTC on this proposal in February in which it raised concerns that this rule could…
Read MoreBipartisan Lawmaker Duo Explains Flaws in R2R Law in Maine
test title The Democratic Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business in the Maine House of Representatives and a Republican colleague co-authored an op-ed in the Portland Press Herald. In their piece, Reps. Tiffany Roberts (D-District 149) and Amanda Collamore (R-District 68) explains that the right to repair law…
Read MoreU.S. House Passes Bill that could Limit China’s Access to Drivers’ Sensitive Data
test title The U.S. House unanimously approved H.R. 7520, the Promoting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024. This bill would make it illegal for a data broker to sell, lease, rent, trade, transfer, release, disclose, provide access to, or otherwise make available sensitive data of a United States individual to any foreign adversary…
Read MoreFTC and DOJ Support Renewing and Adding Exemptions to Copyright Law for Repair Purposes
test title The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) submitted a joint comment to the U.S. Copyright Office in support of renewing and expanding exceptions to copyright law to facilitate the right to repair. An exemption currently exists, for which the Copyright Office intends to recommend renewal, for access to computer…
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