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AB 2046CALIFORNIASession 20252026

California AB 2046 exempts EPA-certified E85 fuel conversion systems from state pollution control testing

Original title: Vehicles: pollution control devices.

August 13, 2026

VehiclesPollution ControlEnvironmental RegulationTransportationpollutioncontroldevices

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The Frame

What this does

This change reduces regulatory hurdles and costs for vehicle owners and businesses installing EPA-certified E85 conversion kits by eliminating the need for duplicative state-level testing or from the State Air Resources Board.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Vehicle owners

Owners of light-duty or medium-duty gasoline vehicles may install EPA-certified E85 conversion systems without seeking additional state-level approval.

State Air Resources Board

The board is prohibited from requiring state certification or additional testing for specific EPA-certified alternative fuel retrofit devices.

What changed

Last recorded activity August 13, 2026.

What's next

Introduced.

Summary

AB 2046 allows light-duty and medium-duty gasoline vehicles to be retrofitted for dual-fuel use with E85 ethanol without requiring additional California-specific certification or testing. The bill mandates that these systems must already be certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as clean alternative fuel conversion systems.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

This change reduces regulatory hurdles and costs for vehicle owners and businesses installing EPA-certified E85 conversion kits by eliminating the need for duplicative state-level testing or from the State Air Resources Board.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this bill allow me to modify my car's emissions system however I want?
No. The exemption only applies to specific alternative fuel retrofit systems that convert a vehicle to use both gasoline and E85, provided those systems have already been certified by the U.S. EPA.
Will I still need to get state approval for an E85 conversion kit?
If the system is certified by the U.S. EPA as a clean alternative fuel conversion system, this bill prohibits the State Air Resources Board from requiring additional state-level certification or testing.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Federal-State Regulatory Alignment

The bill represents a shift toward accepting federal EPA certification as sufficient for specific vehicle modifications, reducing the state's role in redundant testing.

State Air Resources BoardUnited States Environmental Protection Agency

Connected Entities

organizationState Air Resources Board“The state agency responsible for regulating vehicle emissions and pollution cont”Map →
organizationUnited States Environmental Protection Agency“The federal agency that certifies clean alternative fuel conversion systems.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

openstates.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance45
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy15
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz10
    Current news / social attention level

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