S.B. 230
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SENATE BILL NO. 230–SENATORS STEINBECK AND OHRENSCHALL
FEBRUARY 24, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Growth and Infrastructure
SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to the testing of
emissions from motor vehicles. (BDR 40-661)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: Yes.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; requiring regulations adopted
by the State Environmental Commission for the control of
emissions from motor vehicles to provide for the biennial
inspection and testing of motor vehicles and systems; and
providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires the State Environmental Commission, in cooperation with 1
the Department of Motor Vehicles and any local air pollution control agency, to adopt 2
regulations for the control of emissions from motor vehicles in areas designated by 3
the Commission that are in any county whose population is 100,000 or more 4
(currently Clark and Washoe Counties). (NRS 445B.770) Existing law further 5
requires that certain vehicles which require inspection pursuant to such regulations 6
have evidence of compliance upon registration or reregistration. (NRS 445B.795) 7
Section 1 of this bill requires the Commission, when prescribing regulations for 8
the control of emissions from motor vehicles in certain areas, to provide for the 9
biennial inspection and testing of motor vehicles and systems for the control of 10
emissions. 11
Existing law provides that a new motor vehicle is exempt from compliance with 12
certain provisions governing the controls of emissions from a motor vehicle which is 13
being operated on a highway until the fourth registration of the motor vehicle. (NRS 14
445B.825) Notwithstanding such an exemption, existing law: (1) authorizes the 15
Department, in a county whose population is 100,000 or more (currently Clark and 16
Washoe Counties), to conduct a test of the emissions from such a motor vehicle to 17
determine whether the vehicle complies with such provisions; and (2) requires the 18
Department, if the Department conducts such a test, to conduct the test to determine 19
whether the motor vehicle complies with such provisions annually after the fourth 20
registration of the motor vehicle. (NRS 445B.798, 445B.825) Section 2 of this bill 21
instead requires such tests to be conducted biennially after the fourth registration of 22
the vehicle. 23
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THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. NRS 445B.770 is hereby amended to read as 1
follows: 2
445B.770 1. In any county whose population is 100,000 or 3
more, the Commission shall, in cooperation with the Department of 4
Motor Vehicles and any local air pollution control agency, adopt 5
regulations for the control of emissions from motor vehicles in areas 6
of the county designated by the Commission. 7
2. In any county whose population is less than 100,000, if the 8
Commission determines that it is feasible and practicable to carry 9
out a program of inspecting and testing motor vehicles and systems 10
for the control of emissions from motor vehicles, and if carrying out 11
the program is deemed necessary to achieve or maintain the 12
prescribed standards for the quality of ambient air in areas of the 13
State designated by the Commission, the Commission shall, in 14
cooperation with the Department of Motor Vehicles and any local 15
air pollution control agency established under NRS 445B.500 which 16
has jurisdiction in a designated area, adopt regulations and 17
transportation controls as may be necessary to carry out the 18
program. 19
3. The regulations [must distinguish] : 20
(a) Must: 21
(1) Distinguish between light-duty and heavy-duty motor 22
vehicles ; and [may] 23
(2) Provide for the biennial inspection and testing of motor 24
vehicles and systems for the control of emissions from motor 25
vehicles in areas designated by the Commission pursuant to this 26
section; and 27
(b) May prescribe: 28
[(a)] (1) Appropriate criteria and procedures for the approval, 29
installation and use of devices for the control of emissions from 30
motor vehicles; and 31
[(b)] (2) Requirements for the proper maintenance of such 32
devices and motor vehicles. 33
4. The regulations must establish: 34
(a) Requirements by which the Department of Motor Vehicles 35
shall license authorized stations to inspect, repair, adjust and install 36
devices for the control of emissions for motor vehicles, including 37
criteria by which any person may become qualified to inspect, 38
repair, adjust and install those devices. 39
(b) Requirements by which the Department of Motor Vehicles 40
may license an owner or lessee of a fleet of three or more vehicles 41
as a fleet station if the owner or lessee complies with the regulations 42
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of the Commission. The fleet station shall only certify vehicles 1
which constitute that fleet. 2
(c) Requirements by which the Department of Motor Vehicles 3
provides for inspections of motor vehicles owned by this State and 4
any of its political subdivisions. 5
5. The Commission shall consider, before adopting any 6
regulation or establishing any criteria pursuant to subparagraph (1) 7
of paragraph [(a)] (b) of subsection 3: 8
(a) The availability of devices adaptable to specific makes, 9
models and years of motor vehicles. 10
(b) The effectiveness of those devices for reducing the emission 11
of each type of air pollutant under conditions in this State. 12
(c) The capability of those devices for reducing any particular 13
type or types of pollutants without significantly increasing the 14
emission of any other type or types of pollutant. 15
(d) The capacity of any manufacturer to produce and distribute 16
the particular device in such quantities and at such times as will 17
meet the estimated needs in Nevada. 18
(e) The reasonableness of the retail cost of the device and the 19
cost of its installation and maintenance over the life of the device 20
and the motor vehicle. 21
(f) The ease of determining whether any such installed device is 22
functioning properly. 23
Sec. 2. NRS 445B.825 is hereby amended to read as follows: 24
445B.825 1. The Commission may provide for exemption 25
from the provisions of NRS 445B.770 to 445B.815, inclusive, of 26
designated classes of motor vehicles, including, without limitation, 27
classes based upon the year of manufacture of motor vehicles. 28
2. A hybrid electric vehicle, as defined in 40 C.F.R. § 86.1803-29
01, is exempt from the provisions of NRS 445B.770 to 445B.815, 30
inclusive, until the model year of the vehicle is 6 years old. 31
3. A new motor vehicle is exempt from the test conducted 32
pursuant to NRS 445B.798 and the provisions of NRS 445B.770 to 33
445B.815, inclusive, until the fourth registration of the motor 34
vehicle. If the Department of Motor Vehicles conducts a test 35
pursuant to NRS 445B.798, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall 36
conduct the test pursuant to NRS 445B.798 to determine whether 37
the motor vehicle complies with the provisions of NRS 445B.700 to 38
445B.845, inclusive, and the regulations adopted pursuant thereto, 39
[annually] biennially after the fourth registration of the motor 40
vehicle. 41
4. The Commission shall provide for a waiver from the 42
provisions of NRS 445B.770 to 445B.815, inclusive, if compliance 43
involves repair and equipment costs which exceed the limits 44
established by the Commission. The Commission shall establish the 45
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limits in a manner which avoids unnecessary financial hardship to 1
motor vehicle owners. 2
5. As used in this section, “new motor vehicle” means a motor 3
vehicle that has never been registered with the Department of Motor 4
Vehicles and has never been registered with the appropriate agency 5
or authority of any other state, the District of Columbia, any 6
territory or possession of the United States or a foreign state, 7
province or country. 8
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