Congressman Issa Reintroduces Crash Parts Legislation: ASA Testified in Opposition at 2016 Hearing

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) recently introduced the Save Money on Auto Repair Transportation (SMART) Act. This legislation is the most recent iteration of crash parts legislation that have been introduced regularly since 2007. The SMART Act provides an exception from infringement for certain component parts of motor vehicles and would shorten the length of design patents that prevent other companies from producing replacement crash parts from 14 years to just 30 months.

In 2016, former ASA President Dan Risley testified in opposition to a similar bill, H.R. 1057, the “Promoting Automotive Repair, Trade, and Sales (PARTS) Act of 2015”, at a U.S. House Judiciary Committee hearing. In his testimony, Mr. Risley stated that “providing a faster, less expensive path for aftermarket crash parts manufacturers to put non-certified parts in the marketplace will harm both consumers and small businesses.” This statement remains true today.

To read the legislative text of the SMART Act, click here.

To read the 2016 ASA testimony, click here.