Advocacy has been at the forefront of The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) efforts in the past few years, from actively fighting the EV mandates to taking a stand against nuisance ordinances that hamper local tracks, to leading the charge on the recently introduced ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act. Brought to the U.S. House of Representatives in a bipartisan effort from Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and cosponsored by Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.), Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), and Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), the bill ensures that aftermarket businesses have the information needed to properly calibrate advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) after vehicles are modified. SEMA played an essential role in the development of the bill in order to make sure that drivers are “able to safely make common modifications, including installing bike racks, wrapping a vehicle, installing larger wheels and tires, or installing a winch or aftermarket bumpers, without compromising the functionality of ADAS,” according to SEMA’s press release.
Karen Bailey-Chapman, SVP of Public and Government Affairs for SEMA/PRI, has been the leading force in many of these efforts, and she spoke to RacingJunk at the recent Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis about this and other legislative initiatives aimed to support and protect the aftermarket, race and performance communities. Much of the success of this type of legislation is due to SEMA and PRI’s ability to demonstrate impact through things like the 2025 Motorsports Economic Impact Report by PRI which demonstrates the real impact of the race industry economically, complete with a map that allows lawmakers to drill down regionally to see real time economics at a local level. Watch the entire interview with Bailey-Chapman below:
Introducing the ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act now is critical since it will have time to address upcoming mandates on 2029 vehicles concerning automatic emergency braking. According to SEMA, 50 million cars and trucks in the U.S. are modified or accessorized each year. The bill gets ahead of the curve requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to “establish ADAS guidelines to create modification ranges and tolerances for new vehicles starting in model year 2028, as well as establishing guidelines for ADAS test procedures. This gives the aftermarket the time to test and validate calibration before the mandates kick in.
SEMA does real world testing in its garages in Diamond Bar, Calif., and Plymouth, Mich., with advanced tools, OEM data, and dedicated ADAS labs that support product development and groundbreaking research on how modifications affect modern safety systems.
SEMA/PRI CEO Mike Spagnola also met with RacingJunk at PRI to talk about the realities of testing, getting ahead of mandates and legislation that affects the automotive community. It’s part of the driving force behind SEMA’s recent partnership with the FIA. He discussed how that partnership on the mobility side can positively impact the aftermarket and all aspects of the performance space. See that video below.
While the ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act is only in the first stages of introduction, the awareness it brings to the issue should also benefit the aftermarket. “SEMA thanks Rep. Harshbarger for her leadership and Reps. Vasquez, Obernolte, and Torres for their strong support for ensuring vehicles with ADAS can be modified without compromising the integrity of these important safety systems. The introduction of the ADAS Functionality & Integrity Act is a landmark moment for anyone who owns, repairs, or modifies a vehicle,” said Jim Moore, SEMA Vice President of OEM and Product Development. “Americans deserve confidence that those critical systems will work as intended for the entire life of their vehicle, even after repairs or customization. Currently, the industry lacks clear standards governing ADAS calibration, and aftermarket businesses and vehicle owners need access to the necessary calibration information and procedures needed to keep modern safety features functioning. This bill marks a critical step forward in the name of vehicle safety and is a major step forward in protecting the American people’s right to modify the vehicles they own.”
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