House committee advances bill to exempt some UTV passengers from helmets

A House committee voted to send House Bill 13 to the floor with a recommendation that passengers in utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) equipped with full roll cages and seat belts not be required to wear helmets.

Representative Joe Palmer of Meridian, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the measure mirrors an earlier exemption granted to a vehicle referred to as the “Auto Car.” “If they have a full roll cage and seat belts, we’re gonna allow people to not wear helmets in them,” Palmer said, adding that many owners use these vehicles on trails and forest roads.

Palmer said he has not heard safety problems tied to the vehicles, but that he has heard instances of police issuing citations for children riding in the back seats without helmets. “People like me holding their grandkids,” he said, arguing that where children ride in cars or jeeps without helmets, they should be able to do the same in UTVs that meet the bill’s equipment conditions.

Representative Clough asked whether the term UTV — “utility type vehicle” — is clearly defined in state law so law enforcement can distinguish it from ATVs and other vehicle classes. Palmer replied that definitions for UTVs, ATVs, motorcycles and the Auto Car are listed in statute and in legislation.

Representative Munks moved to send the bill to the House floor with a "do pass" recommendation. The committee approved the motion by voice vote with no recorded opposition. The measure will proceed to the full House for further consideration; no floor date was announced in the committee record.

The bill’s central change would carve out a helmet exemption for passengers only when a UTV is equipped with a full roll cage and seat belts. The committee record does not specify the number of tickets cited by Palmer, the text of the draft bill beyond the exemption conditions, nor any specific statute numbers; those details will be part of the bill packet on the House floor.