Mechanicsville, VA, December 30, 2024 – The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will host an open board meeting on Tuesday, January 21, from 2:00 – 5:00 pm in the Tapestry room at the Hilton Palm Springs, in Palm Springs, California. The meeting will include a special session from Patrick Dorais, chief of the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) and Mathew Gibson, BAR program manager.

SCRS invites industry members to learn about the current state of the association and to receive updates on programs and initiatives the association has been working on for the collision repair industry.

In 2023, California passed AB 1263 providing the BAR authority to address storage fees, and to codify its guidance and unify existing law on the subject.

Throughout 2024 BAR held workshops to discuss proposed regulations on storage and towing fees. The Bureau is working to finalize the draft text and file the regulations with the Office of Administrative Law to begin the official rulemaking process, which includes a 45-day public comment period for all stakeholders.

BAR has also proposed changes to California Code of Regulations that will change requirements around tear down disclosures collision repair shops and automotive repair dealers provide to consumers prior to performing disassembly.

Dorais and Gibson will present on both proposed regulation changes, the process the Bureau undertook to collect feedback, the ways that feedback impacted the final proposals and an update on where the BAR is in the process at that point. The presenters will then field questions and transition into a discussion with attendees.

This is an excellent opportunity for California-based repair facilities to interact with their local regulators at a national event.

Attendees are not required to be a member of SCRS to participate. There is no cost, and pre-registration is not required, but seating will be first come first served and we anticipate this event will fill up quickly.

“Having these conversations with agencies like this is so important for our membership and the industry as a whole,” stated Amber Alley, SCRS Chairman, and Manager of California-based Barsotti’s Body and Fender. “We’re all very grateful to Patrick and Mathew for agreeing to participate, as there is a lot of value gained from having interactive dialog between our membership and the agencies responsible for enforcing the regulations. Dialog like this couples nicely with our other committee updates and presentations and makes for a strong in-person kick off to the year.”

During the January 2023 Open Meeting, SCRS hosted Tony Cignarale, Deputy Commissioner, Consumer Services & Market Conduct for the California Department of Insurance. Cignarale similarly presented about the activities their office engages in to serve auto insurance consumers.

The upcoming open meeting will additionally include updates on core member programs such as the SCRS benefits offerings to improve quality of life for members of the industry, and presentations from SCRS staff and committees, outlining current and future work initiatives.

The SCRS Education Committee will also present the annual overview of “Kool Tools from the SEMA Show and Beyond.” Last year’s presentation can be found online on SCRS’ YouTube channel.
The Collision Industry Conference (CIC) will follow on Wednesday, January 22 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm at the same venue in the Horizon Ballroom.

The CIC agenda will include a presentation by the Parts & Materials committee, co-chaired by SCRS Executive Director, Aaron Schulenburg.

The committee presentation will focus on additional California regulatory changes, helping to Understand Air Quality Management District amendments to Low-VOC refinish regulations.

After holding multiple public workshops, the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board has approved a plan in that portion of California to phase out the use of specific solvents in low-VOC paint manufacturing, due to a recent toxicity report from the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

The presentation will feature Heather Farr, Planning and Rules Manager for the South Coast AQMD, as well as representatives from the American Coatings Association, PPE manufacturers and collision repair facilities who will discuss the rule changes and what they mean to the industry.

This will be the most current information on a regionally relevant presentation that has the potential to have wide-reaching impact with potential to affect the repair and refinish industry across North America.

The room block at the Hilton Palm Springs can be accessed here. Pre-registration for CIC closes Friday, January 10.

Pre-register for CIC at https://ciclink.com/event/january-22-2025-palm-springs-ca/.

For more information about SCRS, or to join as a member, please visit www.scrs.com, call 1-877-841-0660 or email info@scrs.com.