The Automotive Body Parts Association (ABPA) said it “strongly opposes” a proposed Maryland bill that would require body shops to use only OEM parts or certified non-OEM aftermarket parts for collision repairs.

ABPA asserted that Maryland Senate Bill 1007, which state Sen. J.B. Jennings introduced on Feb. 3, would “severely limit consumer choice” while driving up repair prices.

The association takes issue with the mandate to use OEM parts or non-OEM aftermarket parts “that have been certified by a narrowly defined independent testing organization.” ABPA also asserted that the bill would “require insurance companies to only approve payment on repairs made with these narrowly specified parts.”

“The Automotive Body Parts Association strongly opposes any attempt to curtail the rights of the consumer, to artificially restrict a competitive business environment, and to use legislation to award a virtually monopoly on the parts-certification process,” ABPA Executive Director Edward Salamy said. “This legislation favors special-interest groups without regard to the negative economic impact it will have on consumers.

“We also have concern about the limits this bill places on a consumer’s desire to use alternative parts and how this would affect them financially.”

Based on the current language of the bill, SB 1007 would eliminate a large portion of the certified-parts inventory by excluding parts that have been certified by some widely accepted industry testing organizations, according to ABPA.

“If passed, Maryland Senate Bill 1007 will severely limit consumer choice and raise the price of auto body repairs so that a small number of manufacturers and certification organizations can benefit,” Salamy added. “That would be an abuse of the law to favor a chosen few over the welfare of the general public.”