AB 1685: Vehicular air pollution: zero-emission vehicles: civil penalties.

(1)Existing law requires the State Air Resources Board to adopt and implement standards for the control of emissions from new motor vehicles that the state board finds to be necessary and technologically feasible. Existing law prohibits a new motor vehicle from being sold in the state that does not meet the emissions standards adopted by the state board. Existing law provides that a person who violates specified vehicular air pollution statutes or specified orders, rules, or regulations of the state board is subject to a civil penalty of up to $500 per vehicle. Existing law provides that any manufacturer who sells, attempts to sell, or causes to be offered for sale a new motor vehicle that fails to meet the applicable emission standards is subject to a civil penalty of $5,000 per violation. Existing law provides that a manufacturer or distributor who does not comply with the emission standards or the test procedures adopted by the state board is subject to a civil penalty of $50 per vehicle.

This bill would increase those penalties to up to $37,500 per violation. The bill would require the state board to adjust those maximum penalties for inflation, as specified, and would exempt those adjustments from the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill would authorize the state board to require the payment of a penalty for the violation of specified vehicular air pollution statutes or specified orders, rules, or regulations of the state board, and making the products compliant with specified laws, as conditions for the continued sale of those products.

This bill would authorize the state board to order a manufacturer of motor vehicles to bring the vehicles into compliance with the emissions configuration to which they were certified. The bill would authorize the state board to require the manufacturer to be in compliance with the state boards order as a condition for the continued sale of motor vehicles in the state.

(2)Existing law prohibits a person who is a state resident or who operates an established place of business within the state from importing, delivering, purchasing, renting, leasing, acquiring, or receiving a new motor vehicle, new motor vehicle engine, or motor vehicle with a new motor vehicle engine for use, registration, or resale in the state unless the motor vehicle engine or new motor vehicle has been certified to meet specified emissions standards. Existing law provides that a person who violates specified provisions relating to transactions of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines is subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per vehicle.

This bill instead would prohibit any person from offering for sale, introducing into commerce, importing, delivering, purchasing, renting, leasing, acquiring, or receiving a new motor vehicle, new motor vehicle engine, or motor vehicle with a new motor vehicle engine for use, registration, or resale in the state unless the motor vehicle engine or new motor vehicle has been certified to meet those specified emissions standards.

This bill would increase the civil penalty to up to $37,500 per violation and up to $10,000 for a dealer, as defined, for violating those specified provisions relating to transactions of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines. The bill would require the state board to adjust those maximum penalties for inflation, as specified, and would exempt those adjustments from the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill would authorize the state board to require the payment of the penalty, and making the motor vehicles compliant with specified laws, as conditions for the continued or further sale in the state of those motor vehicles.

This bill would require the state board to limit to $5,000 a specified civil penalty imposed on a manufacturer who does not meet the requirements of specified regulations that require manufacturers to have a specified percentage of their new motor vehicle sales be zero-emission vehicles.