ASSEMBLY, No. 1625

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MARCH 4, 1996

By Assemblymen MALONE and COTTRELL

An Act concerning the inspection and registration of motor vehicles.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. For the purposes of this act, "the enhanced inspection and maintenance program" means the program established pursuant to the "Federal Clean Air Mandate Compliance Act," P.L. 1995, c.112, and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto, concerning the emissions inspection and registration procedures and requirements for motor vehicles, that was established for the purposes of complying with federal requirements established by the federal "Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990," 42 U.S.C.A., §7403 et seq., the federal rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and the memorandums of agreement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the State concerning the implementation of those requirements.

    b. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.1995, c.112 (C.39:8-41 et seq.), or any other law, or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant thereto, to the contrary, no State agency, department or division thereof shall develop, implement or enforce any aspect of an inspection or registration program for motor vehicles established pursuant to P.L. 1995, c.112, or implement or enforce any provision of any regulation adopted pursuant thereto, until July 1, 1998. The State may implement and enforce the inspection and registration program for motor vehicles that was in effect and operation on June 1, 1995.

    2. a. There is established within the Department of State the "Enhanced Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program Review Task Force." The task force shall consist of 11 members, to be appointed as follows: three members of the Senate, who shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; three members of the General Assembly, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; three members of the public with experience in the maintenance and repair of motor vehicle emissions control systems, one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; and two members of the executive branch of State government, who shall be chosen and appointed by the Governor. All members of the task force shall serve for the duration of the Legislative session during which they are appointed. Vacancies in the membership shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

    b. It shall be the duty of the task force to review and study the provisions of the "Federal Clean Air Mandate Compliance Act," P.L.1995, c.112, the regulations adopted pursuant thereto, the State submittals concerning the State implementation plan, and any memorandums of agreement made between the State and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and to assess the economic impact thereof on motor vehicles five years and older.

    c. The members of the task force shall be appointed within 90 days of the effective date of this act. The task force shall organize and meet as soon as is practicable after the appointment of its members, and shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman from among its public members. The chairman shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the task force.

    d. The task force shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of employees of any State, county or municipal department, board, bureau, commission, task force or agency as it may require and as may be available to it for its purposes. The task force shall further be entitled to employ counsel and stenographic and clerical assistants and to incur traveling and other miscellaneous expenses as it may deem necessary in order to perform its duties, and as may be within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

    e. The task force shall conclude its review, study and assessment, and shall report its findings and recommendations in writing to the Governor and Legislature no later than December 1, 1997.

    f. The task force shall disband on January 1, 1998.

    3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill delays until July 1, 1998 the development, implementation or enforcement of any aspect of an inspection or registration program for motor vehicles established pursuant to the "Federal Clean Air Mandate Compliance Act," P.L.1995, c.112 (C.39:8-41 et seq.), or the implementation or enforcement of any provision of any regulation adopted pursuant thereto. The bill also establishes the "Enhanced Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program Review Task Force," an 11-member task force to study, review and assess the economic impact of the program established pursuant to P.L.1995, c.112 on motor vehicles five years and older. The task force consists of three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate; three members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly; three members of the public with experience in the repair and maintenance of motor vehicle emissions control systems, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor; and two members of the executive branch to be chosen and appointed by the Governor. The task force is required to report its findings and recommendations in writing to the Governor and the Legislature no later than December 1, 1997. The bill also provides the State may implement and enforce the inspection and registration program for motor vehicles that was in effect and operation on June 1, 1995 until July 1, 1998.

    It is the sponsor's intent that the Governor and the Legislature receive the findings and recommendations of the task force before the close of the 1996-97 Legislative Session and take any actions necessary to improve or change the program established by the "Federal Clean Air Mandate Compliance Act" before the start of the following fiscal year July 1, 1998.

Delays changes to inspection and registration program for motor vehicles until July 1, 1998; establishes task force to assess economic impact of program required by P.L.1995, c.112 on motor vehicles five years and older.