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capital report february 19 2019
Commerce Delivers Report on National Security Threat of Imported Autos and
Auto Parts
On Sunday, the U.S. Department of Commerce sent a report to
President Trump containing findings from its investigation into the impacts of
imported vehicles and auto parts on national security. Commerce has not yet
disclosed the contents of the report. The president now has 90 days to publicly
announce whether he will act upon its recommendations, which many speculate
will include new tariffs on imported parts.
“The U.S. auto care industry relies on an integrated global
supply chain in order to offer consumers competitive pricing on vehicle parts
and service,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO, Auto Care Association. “In
addition, imports and exports support a broad range of U.S. jobs, from
manufacturing to distribution. Last year, the Auto Care Association
commissioned a study that found that a 25 percent tariff on imported auto parts
would cause a loss of over 100,000 U.S. jobs due to unperformed maintenance.
Additionally, unperformed vehicle maintenance creates real highway safety
concerns.”
As soon as the report is made public, Auto Care will notify its
membership.
Visit the trade resources page: www.autocare.org/trade
2019 State Legislative Update
Below are some of the pending “priority bills” that the Auto
Care Association is tracking at the state level. For more information on these
bills, contact Tom Tucker, director, state affairs, at tom.tucker@autocare.org.
Missouri – House Bill
451 | This bill would repeal the requirement that all vehicles must obtain
a vehicle safety inspection in order to be licensed.
- Position: Oppose
- Status: Committee has approved; moves to a floor
vote.
Montana – Senate Bill
251 | This bill would require auto repair shops to conduct repairs in
accordance with all directives from the OEMs.
- Position: Oppose
- Status: Expected to pass committee; however, a similar
bill was heard and not voted on in the House.
New Jersey – Senate
Bill 1712 | This bill would require vehicle manufacturers to provide notice
to new vehicle purchases or leasees of their rights under the Magnuson-Moss
Warranty Act.
- Position: Support
- Status: Committee passed unanimously.
Hawaii – Senate Bill
823 | This bill would require insurers to provide the consumer a choice of
OEM crash parts or aftermarket crash parts. If the consumer chooses the OEM part,
the consumer shall not be required to pay the additional cost for repairs using
that OEM part.
- Position: Oppose
- Status: Committee will hear bill on Feb. 21 and it
is expected to pass.
New Hampshire – House
Bill 664 | This bill would require an insurer to reimburse an automobile
repairer for all repairs if the repairer follows OEM-recommended collision
repair procedures.
- Position: Support with amendment
- Status: An amendment has been submitted to
exempt certain parts from the OEM-recommended procedure. The committee heard
the bill and the amendment was received favorably.
California – Assembly
Bill 142 | This bill would increase the amount of the manufacturer
lead-acid battery fee to $2 and enable the fee to continue indefinitely.
- Position: None
- Status: The bill has been referred to a
committee. Auto Care is working with an industry coalition to determine fiscal
impact and industry position.
New York – Assembly
Bill 2208 | This bill would enact the Cleaning Product Right to Know Act,
which establishes labeling requirements for cleaning products that contain
hazardous ingredients.
- Position: Oppose
- Status: No action to date.
Auto Care Testifies and Hosts Reception on Capitol Hill
Last Monday, Feb. 11, as part of an event at the Capitol
Visitor Center hosted by the U.S. Vehicle Data Access Coalition, Bill Hanvey,
president and CEO, Auto Care Association, testified before congressional staff
on the issues surrounding vehicle data access. Hanvey gave an overview of the
auto care industry’s impact on the U.S. economy and reiterated the industry’s
position: vehicle owners must have control over their vehicle-generated data.
Other members of the coalition include the American Property
Casualty Insurance Association, the American Bus Association, the American Car
Rental Association, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, the
Telematics Industry Association and the National Consumer League.
On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the Auto Care Association government
affairs team kicked off the 116th Congress Auto Care Caucus with an
evening reception open to U.S. Representatives and their staff. The purpose of
the Auto Care Caucus is to build a coalition of legislators who advocate on
behalf of our industry through engaging with their fellow elected officials. Vehicle
data access and the technician shortage are two key issues in which Caucus
members can help us garner support on the Hill.
The Auto Care Caucus co-chairs are Reps. Scott Perry, R-Pa.
and Brendan Boyle, D-Pa.
If you know a U.S. Representative that you think would be a
good addition to the Auto Care Caucus, please contact Matt Robbins, director,
government affairs, at matt.robbins@autocare.org.
Get the Latest Coverage of the 2020 Elections
Thanks to support from the Auto Care Political Action
Committee (ACPAC), we are pleased
to bring Capital Report readers the latest Inside Elections with Nathan
Gonzalez, a bi-monthly nonpartisan analysis of U.S. elections.
Read the latest issue: https://www.autocare.org/Government-Affairs/Capital-Report/Election-Updates/inside-elections-021519/