AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES (Charges a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each battery powered elective motor vehicle safety inspection. It would also require any vehicle, regardless of gross vehicle weight rating, to be subject to emissions inspection.)

H7988

2026 -- H 7988
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LC005783
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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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:
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SECTION 1. Chapter 31-38 of the General Laws entitled "Inspection of Motor Vehicles"
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is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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31-38-3.1. Electric vehicle inspection and fees.

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Beginning in fiscal year 2027, a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) is to be charged for each
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battery electric motor vehicle safety inspection. The amount of fees collected shall provide for the
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cost of the inspection and other costs provided by law. The fee must be paid for each motor vehicle
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inspected at an inspection station at the time of the inspection and is payable whether a compliance
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certificate, waiver certificate, or no certificate is issued. There shall be no fee charged for one
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reinspection of a vehicle that failed an initial inspection when the reinspection is conducted at the
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authorized inspection repair station (AIRS) that conducted the initial inspection. Of the fifteen
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dollar ($15.00) fee, ten dollars ($10.00) shall be retained by the inspection station owner to cover
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the costs of performing the inspection. The remaining five dollars ($5.00) shall be remitted to the
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program manager.
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SECTION 2. Section 31-47.1-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-47.1 entitled "Motor
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Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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31-47.1-3. Inspection requirement.
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(a) Each motor vehicle subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to a motor
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vehicle emissions inspection, conducted no more frequently than annually. Different classes of
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motor vehicles or model years may be subject to different inspection frequencies.

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(b) Motor vehicles subject to this chapter shall be determined by regulations, and shall
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include, but not necessarily be limited to, all 1975 and later model
year light duty vehicles and light
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duty

years
trucks
up to and including eight thousand five hundred pounds (8,500 lbs.)

regardless of
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the
gross vehicle weight rating.
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(c) Any motor vehicle which is inspected and found not to comply with the standards and
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criteria for motor vehicle emissions inspections must, within thirty (30) days of the inspection, be
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re-inspected and found to comply with the standards and criteria for motor vehicle emissions
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inspections, or have received a waiver certificate, or not be operated on the highways of the state.
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(d) Any certificate issued under this chapter shall always be carried in an easily accessible
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place in or about the vehicle for which the certificate was issued.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
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This act would charge a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) for each battery powered electric
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motor vehicle safety inspection. It would also require any vehicle, regardless of gross vehicle
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weight rating, to be subject to emissions inspection.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005783 - Page 3 of 3