ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The model tire repair bill co-written by the Rubber Manufacturers Association and the Tire Industry Association is being debated before the Maryland legislature.
HB 122, sponsored by Del. Dereck E. Davis, D-25th District, was the subject of a Feb. 6 hearing before the Maryland House Committee on Economic Matters, which Del. Davis chairs.
Testifying favorably on the bill at the hearing were representatives of TIA, the RMA and the Chesapeake Automotive Business Association. No one testified against the bill, though the American Automobile Association has come out in opposition, according to Roy Littlefield, TIA executive vice president.
"HB 122 is a carefully balanced initiative that can improve motorist safety with minimally intrusive regulation on those who fail to follow decades-old and well-known tire repair practices," said Daniel Zielinski, RMA senior vice president-public affairs, in a printed statement distributed at the hearing. Littlefield also testified, but his remarks were not printed.
The bill states that auto and tire repair facilities may not repair tires unless they demount them from the rim; perform a visual and tactile inspection of tires' interiors and exteriors; or repair punctures or cuts in the tread area with a patch and rubber stem or combination repair unit.