(a) Participation in the high polluter repair or removal program specified in this article and Article 10 (commencing with Section 44100) shall be voluntary and shall be available to the owners of high polluters that are registered in an area that is subject to an inspection and maintenance program, have been registered for at least 24 months in the district where the credits are to be applied and, are presently operational, and meet other criteria, as determined by the department.
(b) The program shall provide for both of the following:
(1) As to the repair of a high polluter, payment to the owner of up to 80 percent of the total cost of repair, as determined by the department, but the payment shall not exceed four hundred fifty dollars ($450).
(2) As to the removal of a high polluter, the program shall be subject to Article 10 (commencing with Section 44100).
(c) Except as provided in Section 44062.3, the department may specify the amount of money that may be paid to an owner of a high-polluting motor vehicle who voluntarily retires the vehicle. The amount paid by the department shall be based on the cost-effectiveness and the air quality benefit of retiring the vehicle, as determined by the department.
(d) The department may authorize participation in the program based on a reasonable estimate of the future revenues that will be available to the program.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 761, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2007.)