A bill championed by former late-night host Jay Leno, aiming to exempt qualifying classic and collector cars from California's smog checks, is gaining momentum in the state Capitol. Bipartisan lawmakers are making a final push to pass Senate Bill 1392, colloquially known as "Leno's Law."
The legislation would exempt vehicles manufactured before the 1981 model year from emissions testing. The exemption would gradually expand to include vehicles up to the 1986 model year by 2032.
Leno, a prominent car enthusiast with a vast collection, has become a vocal advocate, stating that current pollution laws inadvertently create criminals out of owners who struggle to find testing stations equipped for older vehicles. "The idea of — I mean, you have an old car, it’s been legal your whole life, and now it’s illegal because you can’t find a station to do the emissions test. So what do you do? It’s your car," Leno said during a press event with state Sen. Shannon Grove.
Grove, who is co-sponsoring the bill, emphasized that the measure aims to provide equity for classic car owners who may not have the extensive resources of collectors like Leno. "There are people out there who can have a locked garage and a locked-key facility so that they can be inside these museum-type facilities, like Mr. Leno has," Grove said. "But there’s also a lot of people who can’t afford that. And our goal is to make equity happen throughout the state."
Leno's involvement with the bill reportedly began after Grove toured his renowned collection of approximately 181 cars and 160 motorcycles housed in his Burbank garage. Grove recounted that Leno, upon learning about the challenges faced by classic car owners, stated, "We need to fix this smog bill law."
Despite bipartisan support, "Leno's Law" faces opposition from environmental groups and clean-air advocates who argue that such exemptions could create loopholes exploited by individuals seeking to avoid smog checks for higher-emitting older vehicles. The Bay Area Air District testified to lawmakers that the legislation could "create a massive loophole that non-hobbyists will exploit to avoid smog checks for their older, higher emitting vehicles."
A similar bill was previously stalled amid these concerns. The current legislation is awaiting a key vote in the California Assembly, with lawmakers having until the end of August to send the bill to the governor. California law mandates biennial smog checks for most gasoline-powered vehicles as part of its efforts to reduce emissions.