SF2968

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to enhance consumer protection by ensuring consumer choice of fuel for motorized equipment and vehicles. It seeks to modify the state's rulemaking authority and remove existing regulations known as the Clean Car rules in Minnesota.

Main Provisions

• Consumer Choice of Fuel: The bill prohibits state agencies from adopting rules that limit consumer choice in purchasing motorized equipment based on fuel type. It also prevents mandates on retailers to stock equipment based on fuel source.
• Definition of Motorized Equipment: Motorized equipment includes tools like generators and lawnmowers, recreational vehicles like snowmobiles and motorcycles, passenger automobiles, farm equipment, and medium-to-heavy-duty trucks.
• Legislative Approval for Rulemaking: Requires that any proposed rules incorporating laws from other states be submitted to Minnesota's legislative committees 90 days before publication. The rules cannot be adopted without approval from a law enacted in the legislative session following the proposal’s submission.
• Pollution Control Agency Standards: The bill directs the Pollution Control Agency to adopt standards to improve air quality without imposing vehicle emission standards that could restrict consumer choices based on vehicle emissions.

Significant Changes

• Repeal of Clean Car Rules: The bill repeals Minnesota's adoption of certain vehicle emission standards, specifically the rules that established standards for low-emission and zero-emission vehicles incorporated from California's regulations.
• Change in Rule Adoption Process: By necessitating legislative approval for rules referencing external statutes, the bill changes the process whereby certain environmental and consumer rules are adopted, placing more power in the hands of state legislators.

Relevant Terms

• Consumer choice
• Fuel source
• Clean Car rules
• Pollution Control Agency
• Low-emission vehicles
• Zero-emission vehicles
• California regulations
• Emission standards