Advocacy is a marathon, not a sprint, and we've reached a solid mid-way point in the year. With Congress back home during its summer recess, PRI and SEMA are preparing for a busy fall in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

In January, PRI and SEMA mapped its advocacy agenda for 2025. Here's where things stand.

Halting Electric-Vehicle (EV) Mandates and Preserving Vehicle Choice

The big win so far this year. PRI and SEMA didn't just play a pivotal role in killing EV mandates--we led the effort in Washington, D.C., on this issue, earning a visit to the White House when President Trump signed a Congressional Review Act resolution that protects more than 330,000 American jobs and preserves $100 billion in annual economic impact for the nation's economy by revoking a waiver that would have enabled California to ban internal-combustion-engine vehicles.

Along the way, PRI and SEMA mobilized an army of advocates to:  

• Send more than 56,000 letters and make more than 2,000 phone calls to lawmakers in the House and Senate.
   
• Build a coalition of 335 small businesses for an April letter urging House and Senate leadership to hold votes to put an immediate stop to the implementation of the ACC II regulation.
   
• Host aftermarket business leaders and automotive influencers for 56 in-person meetings in Washington, D.C., with lawmakers and staff.
   
• Dominate the digital media landscape with countless memes and posts on the harms of EV mandates, reaching more than 2 million voters in key states, and running online ads that put pressure on lawmakers and staff around the Capitol. 

Meanwhile, other states wised up to the harms of EV mandates. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Vermont each backed off policies that followed California's emissions policies, while North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, West Virginia and eight other states passed PRI- and SEMA-supported "ban the ban" legislation to ensure such mandates can never take effect.  

Protecting the Right to Repair and Modify Vehicles

The REPAIR Act was introduced in the House and Senate and awaits committee action. However, PRI and SEMA have declined to support these bills, which do not provide sufficient protections for vehicle owners who want to legally and safely modify their vehicles, as well as the specialty aftermarket businesses that produce, sell and install products that modify vehicles. Our right to repair/right to modify principles document clearly outlines what must be done by lawmakers to earn PRI and SEMA's support.

Preserving Access to Public Lands for Recreational Use

Before departing from office, President Biden signed the PRI- and SEMA-supported Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act (EXPLORE Act) (HR 6492), thus establishing an important, comprehensive public lands law that will improve the permitting process for motorized recreation events on federal lands and bolster the economic impact of outdoor recreation businesses, including manufacturers, retailers, guides and local businesses nationwide.

Then, in May, PRI and SEMA helped deliver a major, decisive win for off-road enthusiasts when the California Supreme Court declined to hear a petition from the California Coastal Commission (CCC), thus preserving access to Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (ODSVRA) located near Pismo Beach, California. This victory was a direct result of SEMA's lawsuit, which rightly argued that the CCC violated the state's Coastal Act when it ordered the phase-out of OHV use at Oceano Dunes. The ruling preserves motorized access to an area that's the only place in California where off-road enthusiasts can drive and camp on the beach, with unique sand dunes and options for off-roading, camping and exploring. 

Tariffs

PRI and SEMA continue to gather information on the impact of tariffs on our members and share this information with the Trump Administration and lawmakers. PRI and SEMA have met with the Department of Commerce to share survey data culled from our member businesses on tariff impacts, and established a strong set of guiding principles to serve as a north star for discussions with federal policymakers on international trade. Because tariffs remain a rapidly changing landscape, we'll continue to reinforce to the government how the automotive aftermarket is impacted by these policies.

Shaping Tax Policies That Help Small Businesses

PRI and SEMA advocated for and helped secure passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which provides tax certainty to American businesses. The bill includes several key provisions that benefit PRI and SEMA member companies, including reduced tax rates for individuals and pass-through businesses, 199a deduction made permanent, Section 179 expensing cap increased, full expensing for R&D and capital investments, expanded business interest deductions, and 100% immediate deductibility of certain investments in new factories and improvements. The new law is a massive win for specialty-aftermarket businesses. 

PRI has also spent a great deal of time laying the groundwork for action in the fall to secure a more sustainable economic landscape for race tracks across the nation. The bipartisan Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act (HR 2231/S 2462) would permanently ensure that motorsports entertainment complexes can depreciate the money they invest in their facility over a seven-year period. 

Without congressional action, race tracks' depreciation period would revert to up to 39 years at the end of 2025. This is why making the incentive permanent would provide track owners with important certainty for making long-term investments.

Defense of Classic Vehicles and Collector Rights

PRI and SEMA are leading the charge to improve the landscape in California for auto collectors, backing Leno's Law (SB 712), which would expand smog exemptions for a new swath of classic vehicles. This bipartisan bill represents the most significant progress we've made in California on this sort of bill in decades. It is foundational progress that shows the growing strength of PRI, SEMA and the automotive community to advance legislation in the most difficult political environments, like California.

Protection of Small Businesses From Regulatory Overreach

In a major development, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will begin rulemaking to overturn the 2009 "endangerment" finding on greenhouse gases and repeal the greenhouse-gas standards for light- and medium-duty motor vehicles. The EPA's proposed rule will directly impact federal new-car requirements. The proposed rule will ensure that automakers produce vehicles driven by consumer demand, rather than greenhouse-gas limits, the latter of which has significantly influenced the models of vehicles available to the American people since 2009.

PRI and SEMA are reviewing the proposed rule to identify any potential additional impacts to the specialty automotive aftermarket, even as the rule is not expected to impact Clean Air Act requirements related to the maintenance of emissions controls after a vehicle has been purchased.

In the states, PRI and SEMA led successful efforts in Arkansas and Oregon to protect race tracks from orchestrated efforts to shut them down.

Want to learn more? Visit performanceracing.com/advocacy for the latest and follow the SEMA Action Network on Instagram to get involved.