It also must advise the committee on the status of the state implementation plan and any revisions to it that have been made or are proposed. The bill prohibits the motor vehicles commissioner from entering into any inspection contract or amending any existing contract unless he first submits the contract or amendment to the Transportation Committee, provides a plain language summary of the changes, and a statement explaining their fiscal impact. The commissioner must modify the contract or contract amendment before it is executed to incorporate the committee s recommendations, unless he provides it with a written explanation of why the recommendations are not in the state s best interest and should not be adopted. Under the current emissions inspection agreement, the contractor operates 25 inspection facilities throughout the state. The contract runs through June 30, 2002.
Some inspection stations can also perform safety inspections.
Properly trained and equipped repair technicians can query the on-board diagnostic system to identify components in need of repair. It makes several changes to the laws governing the emissions inspection program including codifying the present inspection fees through the end of the current contract, removing a requirement that future contracts for emission inspection services be for a minimum of five years, adding denial of initial issuance or renewal of a noncomplying vehicle s registration to the commissioner s current power to suspend such a registration, and makes several technical and minor corrective changes. The Senate then referred it to the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on April 18 and the committee reported it favorably on April 25 without changes.