2026 -- S 3013

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LC005969

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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: Senators Vargas, Murray, Thompson, Tikoian, DiPalma, McKenney,
Bissaillon, Kallman, Quezada, and Zurier

     Date Introduced: March 05, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 31-38-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-38 entitled "Inspection

of Motor Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-38-7. Operation of official stations.

     (a) No permit for an official station shall be assigned or transferred or used at any location

other than designated in it, and the permit shall be posted in a conspicuous place at the designated

location.

     (b) The state-certified person operating an official inspection station shall issue a certificate

of inspection and approval upon an official form to the owner of a vehicle upon inspection of the

vehicle and determining that its equipment required under the provisions of this chapter is in good

condition and proper adjustment, otherwise, no certificate shall be issued. A record and report shall

be made of every inspection and every certificate issued. The records shall be kept available for

review by those employees of the department of revenue that the director may designate.

     (c) The following fees shall be charged for inspection and issuance of certificate of

inspection and approval:

     (1) For every vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than eight thousand five

hundred pounds (8,500 lbs.), the fee shall be included with the fee charged pursuant to § 31-47.1-

11;

     (2) For every vehicle of a registered gross weight of more than eight thousand five hundred

pounds (8,500 lbs.) or more, except trailers, fifteen dollars ($15.00);

     (3) For every motorcycle and electrically powered vehicle, eleven dollars ($11.00) fifteen

dollars ($15.00);

     (4) For every trailer or semi-trailer with a registered gross weight of more than one

thousand pounds (1,000 lbs.), eleven dollars ($11.00); and

     (5) Provided, that for the inspection of vehicles used for the transportation of persons for

hire, as provided in § 31-22-12, and subject to an inspection pursuant to chapter 47.1 of this title,

the fee shall be included with the fee charged pursuant to § 31-47.1-11.

     (d) The director of the department of revenue may establish a state inspection facility at

which any motor vehicle may be reinspected at no cost to the owner. The state inspection facility

may inspect all public conveyance vehicles or these inspections may be otherwise provided for by

the director, or any other vehicles which, in the opinion of the director of revenue, or his or her

designee, require specific testing to ensure for the health and safety of the general public.

     (e) Any other inspections or activities which may be required to be performed at a state

inspection facility may be performed at any official inspection station if determined by the director.

     SECTION 2. Section 31-47.1-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-47.1 entitled "Motor

Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-47.1-11. Fees.

     (a) Beginning in fiscal year 2015 until January 1, 2027, a fee of fifty-five dollars ($55.00)

is to be charged for each motor vehicle inspected. The amount of fees collected shall provide for

the cost of the inspection, the costs of administering the motor vehicle emissions inspection

program and other costs provided by law. The fee must be paid for each motor vehicle inspected at

an emissions inspection station at the time of the inspection and is payable whether a compliance

certificate, waiver certificate, or no certificate is issued. There shall be no fee charged for one

reinspection of a vehicle that failed an initial inspection when the reinspection is conducted at the

AIRS that conducted the initial inspection.

     Of the fifty-five dollars ($55.00) fee, nineteen dollars ($19.00) shall be retained by the

inspection station owner to cover the costs of performing the inspection. The remaining thirty-six

dollars ($36.00) shall be remitted to the program manager. The program manager shall retain no

more than four dollars ($4.00) of the fee and remit no less than thirty-two dollars ($32.00) for

deposit in the Rhode Island highway maintenance account. Be it further provided that twenty

dollars ($20.00) generated from the fee be deposited into the Rhode Island highway maintenance

fund according to the schedule provided in subsection (b) of § 39-18.1-5. The general assembly

shall annually appropriate such sums as may be required to cover the costs of administering the

program by the division of motor vehicles and the department of environmental management.

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     (b) [Deleted by P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 21, § 6].

     (c)(1) On and after January 1, 2027, a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) is to be charged

for each motor vehicle inspected. The amount of fees collected shall provide for the cost of the

inspection, the costs of administering the motor vehicle emissions inspection program and other

costs provided by law. The fee shall be paid for each motor vehicle inspected at an emissions

inspection station at the time of the inspection and is payable whether a compliance certificate,

waiver certificate, or no certificate is issued. There shall be no fee charged for one reinspection of

a vehicle that failed an initial inspection when the reinspection is conducted at the AIRS that

conducted the initial inspection.

     (2) Of the seventy-five dollar ($75.00) fee charged pursuant to the provisions of subsection

(c)(1) of this section, twenty-four dollars ($24.00) shall be retained by the inspection station owner

to cover the costs of performing the inspection. The remaining fifty-one dollars ($51.00) shall be

remitted to the program manager. The program manager shall retain no more than four dollars

($4.00) of the fee and remit no less than thirty-seven dollars ($37.00) for deposit in the Rhode

Island highway maintenance account. Twenty dollars ($20.00) generated from the fee shall be

deposited into the Rhode Island highway maintenance fund according to the schedule in § 39-18.1-

5(b). The remaining ten dollars ($10.00) shall be deposited directly to Rhode Island public transit

authority (RIPTA). The general assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as may be required

to cover the costs of administering the program by the division of motor vehicles and the department

of environmental management.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.

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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 increase and reallocate the fees collected for motor vehicle inspections,

including motorcycle inspections, with an allocation of ten dollars ($10.00) to the Rhode Island

Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).

     This act would take effect on January 1, 2027.

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