For several months, PMTA members have raised concerns about the California Air Resources Board (CARB) warranty requirements taking effect for trucks in 2022. It seems that Pennsylvania may be one of only three states (the others being California and New Jersey) that will require CARB's extended warranties for truck emissions systems next year. The result of the warranty requirement is that 2022 trucks will cost more if purchased or registered in Pennsylvania, making the state and its businesses less competitive with those elsewhere. 

As a result of PMTA and its members raising this issue with elected officials, the PA General Assembly is asking questions of the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) about the warranty requirement. On October 5, Chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy (ERE) Committee Rep. Daryl Metcalfe sent the letter below to DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell to get clarification on the agency's interpretation of the CARB warranty requirement and its impact on Pennsylvania.

Among the questions Rep. Metcalfe asked are:

• Are CARB's extended warranty requirements in effect for new trucks in Pennsylvania next year?
• Will future CARB regulations be automatically adopted in Pennsylvania?
• Is this delegation of regulatory authority to CARB constitutional?
• Did DEP consider a waiver to the warranty requirement?
• How will the warranty provision benefit Pennsylvania?

Rep. Metcalfe has asked for the Secretary's response to these questions by October 21 and is considering future action on the matter. Please contact your state lawmakers to make them aware of this issue and the House ERE committee's actions.

View the full letter here: CARB Truck - McDonnell 10-5-21.pdf