Massachusetts legislation that would adopt the Automotive Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS Standard) into state law has been assigned to the legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation. The identical bills, HD 181 introduced by Rep. Josh Cutler and SD 1686 introduced by Sen. Susan Moran, would require the Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles to promulgate regulations that “meet or exceed” the AGRSS Standard.
Rep. Cutler introduced similar legislation in 2022 and it received a hearing before the Joint Committee in March of that year. The Committee expressed interest in the legislation and Rep. Cutler reintroduced his legislation, adding Sen. Moran’s companion bill to this year’s effort to enact state auto glass safety standards.
The Auto Glass Safety Council (AGSC) is heavily supporting the legislation and hopes that the Joint Committee will hold hearings on the bills in the spring or early summer. It plans on rallying support for the bill among auto glass shops and testifying at bill hearings to explain the need for the voluntary industry “gold standard” to become enacted by states.
The bills are fashioned after a Maryland law enacted in 2021 pursuant to which state regulations that mirror the AGRSS standard were later adopted. The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration is currently reviewing the state regulations in light of the 2022 changes made to the AGRSS Standard that further address calibration issues.
The Massachusetts legislature, formally known as the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, operates on a two-year legislative session. The Joint Committee on Transportation chairs are Sen. Brendan Crighton and Rep. William Straus.
