Issues
The United States Treasury Department has announced that it is awarding $75 million across fourteen states to support state-run programs that help small businesses access credit. The funding comes from the State Small Business Credit Initiative’s (SSBCI) Investing in America Small Business Opportunity Program (SBOP). This competitive grant program aims to connect underserved and very…
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The United States Department of Commerce has proposed a rule that would ban imports of Chinese vehicles as well as automotive hardware and software components involved with an automobile’s vehicle connectivity systems (VCS). VCS allows vehicles to communicate externally through Bluetooth, cellular, satellite, and Wi-Fi telematics. Some U.S. government officials have expressed concern that adversarial…
A bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) from engaging with LiDAR technology affiliated with the Chinese Government. Specifically, the “Securing Infrastructure from Adversaries Act” would prohibit DOT from: Procuring LiDAR from a covered company. Contracting with entities using LiDAR from a covered…
The U.S. House of Representatives’ Rules Committee will consider advancing H.R. 7980, the End Chinese Dominance of Electric Vehicles in America Act of 2024. This bill would disqualify electric vehicles (EVs) from receiving the clean vehicle tax credit if “components contained in the drive battery or any material contained in such a component was extracted,…
Click here to read the latest edition of ASA’s Repair Policy Scan Tool newsletter.
The California Legislature passed a bill – AB 2286 – that would prohibit heavy duty vehicles autonomous vehicles (AVs) from driving on roads in the state unless a licensed operator is present in the vehicle. The bill is very similar to a bill that Governor Newsom vetoed last year. The bill passed in the state…
The California Legislature sent to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk a bill – Assembly Bill (AB) 2448 – that would create an “Electric Vehicle Economic Opportunity Zone” in Riverside County. It would create “programs to make electric vehicle manufacturing jobs and education more accessible to lower income communities.” It would also “authorize the agency to partner…
The Democratic Party has officially adopted a position in the party’s 2024 platform supporting the right to repair for agricultural equipment. This development took place during the Democratic National Committee’s 2024 Convention currently transpiring in Chicago, IL. Under the agricultural policy section, the approved platform states, “Going forward, Democrats will also work to get farmers…
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) unveiled plans for the deployment of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology on roadways in the country. Titled, “Saving Lives with Connectivity: A Plan to Accelerate V2X Deployment“, the plan “will guide the implementation of vehicle-to-everything technologies across the nation and support USDOT’s commitment to pursue a comprehensive approach to reduce the…