Pro-Hobbyist Legislation Passes in MA

Charlie M

Supporter
Yesterday Gov. Deval Patrick signed HB4871 into law. This law creates a special registration class for street rods, customs and replicas and gives us some relief on the emissions requirements. While not everything we were hoping for, this is still a huge improvement over the regulations in place since October 08 (which made it nearly impossible to get an inspection sticker for a GT40 replica).

There are still details to be worked out with the RMV. The new law takes effect in April 2011.

The text of the bill is attached.

Charlie
 

Attachments

  • HB4871.pdf
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Good news for you guys over there! Wish the pollies here in Aus would start doing a bit more to help us instead of making things harder every year. The transport dept here in tassie seems to want nothing to do with replicas or anything modified :thumbsdown:. Seems like they want us all to drive around in appliances like hybrid camerys and the like.
Regards
Sean
 
This is very good news. I've been actively ignoring/avoiding the issue of registering my GT40 in Massachusetts because the previous system was so ridiculous that I probably would have needed to work a deal with my brother in New York or Maryland where I would have him register the car and then sell to me. I just figured I'd cross that bridge when I come to it.

The bill seems reasonable to me: waive all emissions requirements until 2012, then require emission controls consistent with the model year of the engine that was installed in the car.

Charlie, I know the governor killed a similar bill last year via "pocket veto," e.g., not signing the legislation after it reached his desk. Do you know what changed? Also, what provisions were you hoping for that didn't make it into the bill?
 

Charlie M

Supporter
It was two years ago that the governor killed the bill due mainly to objections from the DEP. This time the people leading the lobbying effort worked closely with the DEP and RMV so that wouldn't happen again.

Previous versions would have registered replicas as the year of the vehicle it most closely represented which would have pretty much eliminated emissions requirements. But, the use restrictions on replicas was similar to those imposed on antique registrations (no daily use, limited to travel to and from car shows, parades, etc). The new version has no such restrictions but it leaves the door open to an annual mileage limit of 3000 miles or more. The new version also limits crate engine use to the emissions legal offerings from Ford and GM (or any other engine that will meet current emissions requirements).

Charlie
 
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