HARRISBURG – The Senate Transportation Committee today approved, in a bipartisan manner, legislation sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) to reform the commonwealth’s outdated vehicle emissions program.
Senate Bill 1298 removes Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer and Westmoreland counties from the emissions program while also exempting vehicles five years old or less from the program.
The Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance program mandates that motorists in 25 Pennsylvania counties undergo annual emissions testing. However, a Joint State Government Commission study has shown that removing seven of these counties from the program would have minimal impact on maintaining federal air quality standards. Less than 1% of the five most recent model year vehicles fail annual emissions inspections.
“Yet again, I am forced to introduce this legislation because the House cannot be bothered to bring it to a vote” said Langerholc. “I’m proud to sponsor this legislation to save Pennsylvania motorists from having to pay for this outdated, unneeded government mandate. This bill has had many different numbers throughout the multiple sessions I have introduced it, but one common theme persists: it is an unnecessary burden on our residents.”
The Senate passed legislation, sponsored by Langerholc, to reform the emissions program in February 2025, as well as each legislative session since the 2019-2020 legislative session. All measures have failed to receive a vote in the House of Representatives.
The measure now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT: Gwenn Dando