Auto Glass Legislation Advances in States
The mission of the Auto Glass Safety Council is to make every auto glass repair and replacement safer by developing and maintaining standards for auto glass, educating, and accrediting the industry and promoting awareness of the standards to the insurance industry and the public at large.
AGSC’s work coincides with drastic changes in the auto glass industry brought on by the advent of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). This technological system not only alters the way auto glass services companies perform their services but how the public understands the importance of the windshield to their safety and how policymakers address safety issues, as well as the business relationships between auto glass companies, auto dealers, calibration companies, claims administrators and insurers.
AGSC is embarking on a multi-faceted public education campaign. It is laying the groundwork to work with many groups in the automobile safety space. It is conducting seminars and calibration demonstrations beyond the industry to audiences that include legislators, regulatory officials and other key policy influencers.
In the coming months, as the anticipated update to the Automotive Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS) and issuance of the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Safety Standard 2 (ROLAGS 2) are finalized later, AGSC will be rolling out for a broad public information campaign to educate the public on the new standards. One component of the campaign has already begun with AGSC’s increasing presence on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
A number of state legislatures have been active in the auto glass arena as well.
Maryland
In Maryland, an AGSC model auto glass safety bill based on the AGRSS was adopted into state legislation enacted in 2011 by the Maryland General Assembly. The popular safety initiative was passed by a unanimous 48-0 vote of the Maryland Senate and 128-6 majority of the Maryland House of Delegates. Post enactment AGSC has worked with the regulatory agency, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, tasked by the legislation to implement state auto glass replacement safety standards, and expects the agency to publish its final regulatory proposal, which will substantially mirror the AGRSS, in March.
Virginia and Massachusetts
In 2022, similar legislation has been introduced in Virginia and Massachusetts and AGSC has been actively in those states. In January, AGSC testified before the Virginia House Transportation Subcommittee on Highway Safety and Policy in support of an auto glass safety bill.
Legislative advocacy works both ways and thus far in 2022 AGSC members have also worked to defeat or amend a series of ADAS/calibration bills that could negatively smaller, independent glass shops by reducing competition in the auto glass industry and negatively impacting safety. These bills are complex economic regulations that seek to regulate pricing, billing practices and the relationships between the insurance company and the glass company. They are very similar to a law that passed in Utah in 2020/2021, and this year are being considered in Arizona, Illinois and Maryland.
As automotive technology advances so must the Auto Glass Safety Council to meet the new challenge. The development of the original AGRSS occurred in 1999. AGSC stands ready to be at the forefront of advancing auto glass safety for many years ahead.
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