AUSTIN, Texas – A Texas state senator has filed a bipartisan bill that could repeal the annual requirement that all drivers receive a state-certified inspection, according to a news release.
Sen. Don Huffines, who represents District 16, has proposed SB 1588, which he said would help drivers save $7 per vehicle across the state. The tax cut would save about $150 million and 9 million hours that are lost buying a safety inspection, the release said.
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"With significant technological advances in vehicle design and technology, this 66-year-old program is a relic of the past. State government is wasting Texans' time and money on the annual chore of passenger inspections when 34 other states, including populous states like California, don't require it of their drivers,” Huffines said. “Once you realize that these inspections aren't about safety, it's clear that they're simply a tax on Texans' time and money."
SB 1588 would redirect the tax money and hours toward hiring and training troopers to spot drivers who are operating unsafely, the release said.
Huffines released the following statement:
"This is perhaps the most onerous and needless mandate that state government imposes on its citizens. With nearly 20 million inspections done annually, most Texans will feel immediate relief with the elimination of this program.
“It's a joyous day in the Capitol when we have the opportunity to help millions of hard-working Texans by getting a worthless mandate off of their backs."