Issues
This week, the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) announced their organizational goal of 100 percent electric vehicle sales by the end of the decade. ZETA is a coalition of 28 businesses across the United States, including utility groups like Pacific Gas and Electric, automobile industry stakeholders such as Tesla and Uber, and many others. ZETA…
The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has released their bill for the FY 2021 budget. This bill allocates $25.6 billion for the Department of Transportation in discretionary budget authority. In the following explanatory document for this bill, the committee provides report language for the telematics issue. The report…
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Rules meets on Tuesday to markup H.R. 8294, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020. This bill is intended to expand apprenticeships by establishing the structure and responsibilities of the Office of Apprenticeship and the National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships within the Department of Labor. Additionally, H.R. 8294 would…
November 3 concluded a long and contentious election season, and results are coming in. The presidential election is still too close to call, with a significant number of mail-in and absentee ballots still being counted. President Donald Trump leads in crucial swing states Pennsylvania and North Carolina, while former Vice President Joe Biden leads…
Last night, Massachusetts voters overwhelmingly passed Question 1 “Right to Repair” ballot initiative, 75 percent to 25 percent. This proposal expands upon the previously passed Right to Repair initiative. expanding the scope to include telematics information. This was a hotly contested initiative, and both sides spent millions of dollars in campaign advertising. Advocates said…
This week in Congress, talks continue between Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, other Republican congressional leaders, and members of the Trump Administration to finalize another stimulus package for COVID-19 relief. Speaker Pelosi and Secretary Mnuchin have been negotiating for weeks over the size and scope of the bill. If…
Pennsylvania Senate Bill 745 was defeated on the House floor yesterday evening in a vote of 96 to 105. If passed, SB 745 would have updated the rules for emissions testing in the regions of Pittsburg and Philadelphia for vehicles with a model year of 1996 or newer.
This week in Pennsylvania, SB 745 may come up for a vote in the House of Representatives. SB 745 will update the rules for emissions testing in the regions of Pittsburg and Philadelphia for vehicles 8,501 and 9,000 pounds with a model year of 1996 or newer. This bill removes the requirement for outdated vehicle…
The California Air Resource Board (CARB) sent a letter this week to automakers and other vehicle and engine manufacturers regarding unapproved hardware or software programs in vehicles that interfere with emission control systems. CARB encouraged automakers to disclose any defeat devices or undisclosed modifications designed to shut down or reduce effectiveness of systems otherwise designed…
The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced a streamlined process for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans under $50,000. Loans under $50,000 account for approximately 3.5 million of the 5.2 million total loans issued through PPP. This announcement comes after consistent complaints from small business owners about difficulties they have faced throughout the loan forgiveness process, which…