BILL ANALYSIS Ó Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair SB 1076 (Emmerson) - California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006: tire inflation regulation. Amended: March 19, 2012 Policy Vote: EQ 6-0, T&H 9-0 Urgency: No Mandate: No Hearing Date: May 24, 2012 Consultant: Marie Liu SUSPENSE FILE. AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED. Bill Summary: SB 1076 would require Automotive Service Providers (ASP) to use tire pressure gauges that are accurate within a range of plus or minus two pounds per square inch of pressure and would exempt an ASP from requirements to check tire pressures if the tires are determined to be unsafe, as defined. Fiscal Impact: Minor and absorbable costs, if any, to the Air Pollution Control Fund (special fund). Background: On September 1, 2010, the Air Resources Board (ARB)'s Underinflated Vehicle Tire regulations were adopted as an early-action measure to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions as required by AB 32 (Nunez, Pavley) Chapter 488/2006. These regulations require an ASP to check and inflate the tires of each passenger car brought in for service within two pounds per square inch of the recommended tire pressure rating, except if the ASP determines that the tire is unsafe. An "unsafe tire" is defined in the regulation as a tire determined unsafe due to tire tread wear, age, tread irregularity, or damage. Proposed Law: This bill would codify the existing regulations but excludes tire age from the definition of an unsafe tire. ARB would also be required to adopt regulations consistent with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulations regarding tire age and safety if the NHTSA adopts such regulations. Related Legislation: This bill is substantially similar to SB 211 (Emmerson) 2011 with the addition of requirement for ARB to adopt regulations regarding tire age and safety. SB 211 was vetoed by the Governor. SB 1076 (Emmerson) Page 1 Staff Comments: Because this bill uses a definition of an unsafe tire that is different from existing ARB regulations, should this bill pass, the ARB would need to modify its existing regulations to reflect this change. This modification would take the workload equivalent of one air pollution specialist for one year at $145,000. This bill would also require ARB to develop regulations, if the NHTSA adopts regulations regarding tire age and safety. Such a regulation would likely be more straightforward than other ARB regulations since it would be based federal regulation. Thus, this regulation development is likely to require the workload equivalent of one air pollution specialist for one year at $145,000. According to the ARB, no federal regulations are currently planned on tire age and safety so it is unlikely that the ARB will incur this cost in the near future. Proposed Author Amendments: Delete definition of "unsafe tire" and delete requirement for ARB to adopt regulations on tire age and safety, if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does so.