HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1214        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 713

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to the vehicle emissions labeling program for new motor vehicles..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 1.  Section 142M of Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following five paragraphs after line 137:-

The Commissioner, in consultation with the Registrar, shall establish, a vehicle emissions labeling program for new motor vehicles sold or leased in the state with a model year of 2010 or later.  The rules adopted under this section shall require automobile manufacturers to install the labels.

Vehicle emission labels under this program shall include the vehicle’s emissions score.  The label required and the vehicle score included in the label shall be consistent with the labels and information required by other states, including the California motor vehicle greenhouse gas and smog index label and any revisions thereto.  A label that complies with the requirements of the California vehicle labeling program shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this section and the rules adopted thereunder for the content of the labels.

The vehicle emissions label shall be affixed to the vehicle in a clearly visible location, as set forth by the Commissioner.

On or after the effective date of the rules adopted under this section, no new motor vehicle shall be sold or leased in the state unless a vehicle emissions label that meets the requirements of this section and the rules adopted thereunder is affixed to the vehicle.

As used in this section, “motor vehicle” means all passenger cars, light duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less, and medium duty passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of less than 10,000 pounds that are designed primarily for the transportation of persons.