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Committee hears bill to let cities expand daytime golf-cart use; senators voice safety and local-control concerns
Summary
House Bill 1522 would let cities permit golf carts to operate on city streets more broadly during daytime hours; senators raised safety concerns about underage drivers, night travel restrictions, and the administrative burden on municipal governments.
Representative Karen Anderson, District 19 (Grafton), presented House Bill 1522 to change Century Code 40-05-22 so city governing bodies may authorize operation of golf carts on city streets during the daytime and allow broader daytime travel (while continuing to prohibit night operation under state law). Anderson said the bill expands daytime latitude for cities that choose to amend local ordinances.
Committee members raised multiple concerns. Senator Romo said he worries about underage drivers and inadequate vehicle controls, saying the drivers he observed "barely reach the steering wheel" and that "they are constantly driving around," and he said he intended to oppose the bill without additional restrictions such as age limits or equipment standards. Senator Cory noted elderly residents in small towns sometimes rely on golf carts to travel after dark and said the bill’s blanket night restriction could limit mobility for those residents.
Representative Anderson said the bill is designed for smaller towns and would leave specific age, equipment, and route restrictions to local ordinances. Senator Polzin asked whether the League of Cities had been consulted; Anderson said the League was "fine with it" on the House side. Senator Paulson and others urged more time to review existing municipal ordinances and Century Code to identify unintended consequences; Senator Corry said he contacted the League of Cities and would report back.
The committee closed the hearing with no vote and asked staff and members to gather more information before further action, including a review of municipal ordinances and input from the League of Cities.
