SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6697
As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Environment, Energy & Water, February 8, 2002
Title: An act relating to ultra‑fuel‑efficient vehicles.
Brief Description: Exempting ultra‑fuel‑efficient hybrid vehicles from emission inspections.
Sponsors: Senators Finkbeiner, Kline, Fraser and Kohl‑Welles.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Environment, Energy & Water: 2/8/02 [DPS].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY & WATER
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6697 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Fraser, Chair; Regala, Vice Chair; Eide, Hale, Honeyford, Jacobsen, Keiser, McDonald and Morton.
Staff: Richard Rodger (786‑7461)
Background: Federal law requires vehicle emission testing in areas that violated carbon monoxide or ozone air quality standards. Testing is required in the urban portions of Clark, King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties. The Department of Ecology runs the motor vehicle emission inspection program and contracts with private entities to operate the vehicle inspection stations.
Certain motor vehicles are exempt from the emission testing requirement. Exempt vehicles include: Vehicles more than 25 or less than five years old; vehicles powered by propane or compressed natural gas or electricity; motorcycles; farm vehicles; used vehicles sold by dealers; and collector cars.
A hybrid motor vehicle is a vehicle that is powered by both electricity and gas. It is suggested that certain hybrid vehicles should be exempt from emission testing.
Summary of Substitute Bill: Ultra-fuel-efficient fuel cell motor vehicles are exempt from vehicle emission testing. "Ultra-fuel-efficient fuel cell vehicle" is defined to mean vehicles that operate on an electrochemical reaction that generates electricity by combining atoms of hydrogen and oxygen in the presence of a catalyst.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: The substitute bill exempts fuel cell vehicles from emission testing, instead of hybrid motor vehicles that average greater than 50 miles per gallon of fuel.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: None.
Testimony Against: None.
Testified: No one.