MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES, the official text

H7988 2026 -- H 7988 ======== LC005783 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES Introduced By: Representatives Boylan, McGaw, Cortvriend, Knight, Handy, Speakman, Spears, Dawson, Carson, and Caldwell Date Introduced: February 27, 2026 Referred To: House State Government & Elections It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 31-38 of the General Laws entitled Inspection of Motor Vehicles 2 is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 3 31-38-3.1. Electric vehicle inspection and fees. 4 Beginning in fiscal year 2027, a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) is to be charged for each 5 battery electric motor vehicle safety inspection. The amount of fees collected shall provide for the 6 cost of the inspection and other costs provided by law. The fee must be paid for each motor vehicle 7 inspected at an inspection station at the time of the inspection and is payable whether a compliance 8 certificate, waiver certificate, or no certificate is issued. There shall be no fee charged for one 9 reinspection of a vehicle that failed an initial inspection when the reinspection is conducted at the 10 authorized inspection repair station (AIRS) that conducted the initial inspection. Of the fifteen 11 dollar ($15.00) fee, ten dollars ($10.00) shall be retained by the inspection station owner to cover 12 the costs of performing the inspection. The remaining five dollars ($5.00) shall be remitted to the 13 program manager. 14 SECTION 2. Section 31-47.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-47.1 entitled Motor 15 Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program is hereby amended to read as follows: 16 31-47.1-3. Inspection requirement. 17 (a) Each motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a motor 18 vehicle emissions inspection, conducted no more frequently than annually. Different classes of 19 motor vehicles or model years may be subject to different inspection frequencies. 1 (b) Motor vehicles subject to this chapter shall be determined by regulations, and shall 2 include, but not necessarily be limited to, all 1975 and later model year light duty vehicles and light 3 duty years trucks up to and including eight thousand five hundred pounds (8,500 lbs.) regardless of 4 the gross vehicle weight rating. 5 (c) Any motor vehicle which is inspected and found not to comply with the standards and 6 criteria for motor vehicle emissions inspections must, within thirty (30) days of the inspection, be 7 re-inspected and found to comply with the standards and criteria for motor vehicle emissions 8 inspections, or have received a waiver certificate, or not be operated on the highways of the state. 9 (d) Any certificate issued under this chapter shall always be carried in an easily accessible 10 place in or about the vehicle for which the certificate was issued. 11 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC005783 ======== LC005783 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES *** 1 This act would charge a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each battery powered electric 2 motor vehicle safety inspection. It would also require any vehicle, regardless of gross vehicle 3 weight rating, to be subject to emissions inspection. 4 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC005783 ======== LC005783 - Page 3 of 3