By David Walker
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Maryland Del. Christopher Eric Bouchat, R-Carroll County, plans to introduce legislation next year that would roll back vehicle emission costs in the state from $30 to $16.
Bouchat said the increase that went into effect on July 1 is unnecessary and only serves to put money in the pockets of the government. The bill would be the first step to abolishing the Vehicle Emission Inspection Program all together, Bouchat said.
“The fees are obsolete and no longer needed,” Bouchat said. “We can save citizens badly needed funds for household budgets under stress.”
Bouchat said he remembers watching his parents struggle on a fixed budget, primarily due to minor fees and costs. He said he is concerned that these kinds of taxes punish the working, middle and lower class.
“I see these young couples with children getting crushed with financial stress,” Bouchat said. “Taking money away from the average consumer just hurts the economy.”
According to the state Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA), Maryland citizens drive 156 million miles every day. The agency says vehicle emissions pollute the air and create ground-level ozone that is a major component of smog.
Emission testing in Maryland began in 1984 and requires that most drivers have their cars and trucks tested once every two years. The law was amended in 2023 and now permits original owners of cars made in 2019 and after to wait six years between emission tests.
Scot Miller, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, said emissions testing is still needed to catch the many “poorly operating vehicles or ‘clunkers’” that are the primary suspects of harmful emissions.
“An important mission of emission testing is to find these clunkers and repair them or get them off the road,” Miller said. “Overall, emissions testing has been a relatively effective way of reducing air pollution emissions from these vehicles.”
Bouchat argues that since the VEIP’s establishment, car and truck manufacturers have modernized their vehicles past the point of requiring testing.
“The VEIP was introduced as a wonderful idea,” Bouchat said. “It was set in motion to force manufacturers to modify vehicles to help the environment, but they have done enough. The government is not quick to get rid of obsolete functions.”
Bouchat said he is confident that his colleagues in the General Assembly know and understand the stress that increased taxes and fees are having upon their constituents. He anticipates their support in the upcoming assembly.
Del. Jon S. Cardin, D-Baltimore County, said he does not believe that emissions testing is too expensive, but he would like to examine whether the tests are achieving what they were put in place for.
“If we want adequate roads and clean air, we need to pay for the privilege, or we need to expect increased cancer and lung disease,” Cardin said. “The question is really if emissions testing accomplishes said goals.”
Bouchat is emphatic that since the VEIP was introduced, vehicle emissions as a significant air quality detriment has decreased past the point of required testing. While there is evidence that supports his stance, some environmental experts believe differently.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there has been a significant decrease in the common pollutants found in vehicle emissions since 2000.
Charles Ichoku, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said the Clean Air Act of 1970 is the primary contributor to the cleaner air Americans have been breathing for more than 50 years.
“Based on data from the EPA [since 2000], the air quality has improved significantly in the U.S.,” Ichoku said. “Thanks to the successful implementation of the Clean Air Act and technological advances.”
The Clean Air Act is a federal law that oversees air emissions from mobile and stationary sources. The law is comprehensive and sets the national air quality standards, updated most recently in 1990.
Despite the progress made, some experts say vehicle emissions remain a significant contributor to air pollution in the United States.
Gurumurthy Ramachandran, an environmental science professor at Johns Hopkins University, said transportation is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the country, accounting for 28% of the US total.
“Vehicle emission standards and regular testing have been among the most successful policies for reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions,” Ramachandran said. “These regulations ensure that newer vehicles meet strict emissions thresholds, and periodic testing identifies vehicles with malfunctioning emissions systems that can disproportionately pollute.”
Ramachandran said that while Bouchat’s bill will aid in reducing an economic burden, there would be trade-offs regarding public health, environmental monitoring, and funding infrastructure projects.
He said the final decision on the bill will depend on how Maryland residents and lawmakers balance the financial burden of the emission fees against restoring air quality and infrastructure needs.
Bouchat will present this legislation in the 2026 General Assembly session.