A bill that would eliminate Texas’ annual vehicle safety inspections will soon be on Governor Greg Abbott’s desk for him to sign, Houston Public Media reports.
The bill was filed by Republican Representative Cody Harris of Palestine, Texas, and passed both chambers of the legislature. If the Governor signs the bill, it will take effect on September 1.
The typical fee for safety inspections, $7.50, will instead be added to the fees paid to register a vehicle. Even if the bill is put into effect, there are 17 Texas counties that would still require annual emissions tests, which include Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties.
Some have called into question the consequences of the bill, such as Mike Yu, who has owned Midtown Auto Service and Repair for 25 years. Around 10% of his customers are those seeking state vehicle inspections, and he worries that eliminating inspections will result in more unsafe vehicles on roadways.
“When you start doing that, it really does degrade a lot of the cars on the road for safety, and that’s what’s going to end up worrying me later down the line,” stated Yu. “It’s just going to be the wild West eventually.”
