By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Governor Matt Blunt approved major changes to Missouri's emissions testing program today.
Drivers of most brand new cars will not have to get the test until their vehicles are four years old.
The law also exempts vehicles made before 1996 and those driven less than 12-thousand miles between safety inspections.
State Senator John Griesheimer sponsored the bill.
"Since 1993, when the Carnahan administration and the Department of Natural Resources proposed this program, I've have been fighting this program ever since," Griesheimer said. "It has been a major, major problem."
The law will allow repair shops that do safety inspections to perform emissions testing as well.
Many of the law's main provisions will not take effect until late next year.