Smithfield, RI – March 28, 2017: The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) is publicly supporting auto body repair legislation recently introduced in the West Virginia Legislature (SB 544) that would eliminate the OE requirement on newer vehicles and change notification language.

West Virginia’s Senate Bill 544 seeks to revise a current state law that requires written consumer consent for the use of aftermarket parts to repair a vehicle that is still under a manufacturer’s warranty. The current law requires collision repair shops to use OEM parts for a period of three years, the year a vehicle was made and the two succeeding years thereafter, and requires vehicle owners to sign a consent form before aftermarket parts can be used in repairs.

“The Automotive Body Parts Association favors freedom of choice in vehicle repairs, and this West Virginia bill will return that choice to the consumer,” said the ABPA’s Executive Director Edward Salamy. “If enacted, this bill would put aftermarket parts on an equal footing with OEM parts, and would give owners in West Virginia the power to make their own decisions when it comes to repairing their vehicles.”

“We urge legislators in West Virginia to take steps to return consumer choice to their constituents,” continued Salamy.

About the ABPA

With more than 160 members, the Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) occupies over 400 distinctive locations including collision parts distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, and parts recycling plants. ABPA’s members are responsible for distributing more than 75 percent of the independently produced aftermarket crash replacement parts sold to the collision repair trade. For more information about the ABPA, visit www.autobpa.com.