SCRS Open Board Meeting

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will host an open board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 2-5 p.m. 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 the 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.”

The upcoming open meeting will additionally include updates on core member programs such as the SCRS benefits offerings to improve the 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.

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.