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Committee pauses action on bill to allow local ordinances for off‑road vehicles
Summary
Senators discussed House Bill 1346, which would permit counties to adopt ordinances allowing off‑road vehicles on certain roads; committee members asked for more detail on fines and related code references and deferred action pending further research.
Senate Transportation members discussed House Bill 1346, a permissive measure to allow counties to authorize off‑road vehicle (ORV) operation on county and city roads similar to local golf‑cart ordinances. Supporters said counties and sheriffs have requested the authority, and proponents urged the committee to allow local option rules rather than a statewide mandate.
Committee members noted photo evidence of dirt bikes and other ORVs using public roads and that the Association of Counties had been neutral in earlier conversations but indicated the measure would be useful to counties. Several senators asked about specific fine amounts and how the bill interacts with existing statutory penalty sections; one senator flagged a change in a referenced subsection that increases a fine from $10 to $20 and asked the staff to verify where that figure appears in statute. Due to those open questions, the committee agreed to postpone final action to allow staff to pull the referenced code sections and provide clarifying language.
A motion to give the bill a due‑pass recommendation was discussed and briefly moved, but committee members ultimately agreed to wait for additional legal and fiscal detail before voting.
