Senate Joint Resolution No. 40
Resolution Chapter 147
California State Legislature
SJR 40, Lockyer. Salvaged vehicles

This measure would memorialize the President and the Congress of the United States to ensure that legislation pertaining to salvaged vehicles includes specified provisions.

Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully memorializes the President and the Congress of the United States to ensure that federal legislation pertaining to salvage vehicles include

(1) explicit language permitting the states to adopt additional, more stringent requirements for the disclosure of a vehicle's history;

(2) a requirement that each transferor of a motor vehicle disclose to the transferee in writing, at or before the time of sale, whether they vehicle is a salvage vehicle or a rebuilt salvage vehicle; and

(3) language explicitly leaving in place any and all California laws providing consumer protections and allowing the state Attorney General to bring criminal and civil actions to recover restitution and civil penalties against sellers who intentionally sell former salvage vehicles without full disclosure; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States.

– California Senate Resolution (SJR) 40, authored by Senator Pro Tempore Bill Lockyer, currently Attorney General of California, and sponsored by CARS. It passed in the Assembly 71-0. This measure proved extremely helpful in fending off federal preemption of stronger state consumer protections against millions of unsafe, unsound shabbily reconstructed wrecked vehicles.