June 5, 2019—A bill that would have repealed a requirement that motor vehicles be inspected before being licensed has died in the Missouri legislature, but one auto group warns that inspections are still under threat in the state.
Missouri lawmakers ended their session Friday without giving final approval to state Rep. J. Eggleston’s House Bill 451.
Organizations including the Automotive Service Association, Auto Care Association and Tire Industry Association, opposed the legislation. The three organizations advocate for periodic motor vehicle inspection programs to prevent injury and death while enhancing the safety of the motoring public.
“Regular safety inspections by a qualified technician can identify and repair most safety issues arising from normal wear and tear on the vehicle,” ASA Washington, D.C. lobbyist Robert L. Redding Jr. said.
If passed, this bill would have eliminated a program that is specifically designed to protect the motoring public. HB 451 did pass the Missouri House of Representatives but failed to make it to the Missouri Senate floor for a final vote. While the bill did not become law this legislative session, it can be reintroduced in the next legislative session.
After the bill’s failure, the Midwest Auto Care Alliance said in a press release that legislation to repeal vehicle inspections is still alive.
AASP-Missouri and MWACA pointed to amendments that were successfully added to both Senate Bill 89 and Senate Bill 147 in Missouri.
The newly added amendments on both of these bills exempt vehicles ten years of age or less and with less than 150,000 miles from inspections. These bills both passed and currently sit on Missouri Governor Parson’s desk awaiting his signature so that they become law.