On Oct. 14, the Ohio Senate’s Transportation, Commerce and Labor Committee held a second hearing on Senate Bill (S.B.) 37. If enacted, S.B. 37 will extend the jurisdiction of the Motor Vehicle Repair Board (MVRB) to include mechanical repairers.

Under current law, only collision repair facilities are required to register with the MVRB. This loophole for mechanical repairers has allowed “backyard” operators to undercut legitimate businesses by avoiding compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) laws and Ohio’s environmental standards. Because many of these “backyard” shops do not pay taxes or workers’ benefits, there is an uneven playing field in the marketplace between these operators and law-abiding shop owners. S.B. 37 would ensure that all automotive repair professionals are adhering to a uniform set of service and safety standards.

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) strongly supports this legislation. ASA encourages Ohio’s mechanical repairers to visit ASA’s legislative website, TakingTheHill.com, click “Alerts,” then select “Ohio – Ohio Legislature Considers Mechanical Registration” and send a letter to their state legislators in support of S.B. 37.