Issues
ASA Board Chairman Scott Benavidez and Incoming Chair Dan Stander provided insight on the causes behind the rising costs of automotive repairs in an article published today in the Wall Street Journal. The owners of Mr. B’s Paint and Body Shop in Albuquerque, NM and FIX Auto Highlands Ranch in Littleton, CO, respectively, Benavidez and…
The Michigan State Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 867 on a 38-0 vote last week. It now awaits consideration in the State House. State Senator John Cherry (D) originally introduced SB 867 earlier this year for the primary purpose of making it easier for auto repairers to operate auxiliary facilities. Under current law, repair shops…
The United States Treasury Department has announced that it is awarding $75 million across fourteen states to support state-run programs that help small businesses access credit. The funding comes from the State Small Business Credit Initiative’s (SSBCI) Investing in America Small Business Opportunity Program (SBOP). This competitive grant program aims to connect underserved and very…
Click here to read the latest edition of ASA’s Repair Policy Scan Tool newsletter.
The United States Department of Commerce has proposed a rule that would ban imports of Chinese vehicles as well as automotive hardware and software components involved with an automobile’s vehicle connectivity systems (VCS). VCS allows vehicles to communicate externally through Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi telematics. Some U.S. government officials have expressed concern that adversarial…
A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from engaging with LiDAR technology affiliated with the Chinese Government. Specifically, the “Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act” would prohibit DOT from: Procuring LiDAR from a covered company. Contracting with entities using LiDAR from a covered…
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Rules Committee will consider advancing H.R. 7980, the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024. This bill would disqualify electric vehicles (EVs) from receiving the clean vehicle tax credit if “components contained in the drive battery or any material contained in such a component was extracted,…
Click here to read the latest edition of ASA’s Repair Policy Scan Tool newsletter.
The California Legislature passed a bill – AB 2286 – that would prohibit heavy duty vehicles autonomous vehicles (AVs) from driving on roads in the state unless a licensed operator is present in the vehicle. The bill is very similar to a bill that Governor Newsom vetoed last year. The bill passed in the state…
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 to partner…