Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Off Highway Vehicles topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House rejects off-highway vehicle bill after safety, fiscal debate
Summary
The House voted 37-37 to reject first substitute House Bill 237, which would have created an affirmative defense for transporting unregistered OHVs, lowered certification age to 6 with adult supervision and granted Parks rulemaking authority; an amendment removing a $50,400 fiscal note had been adopted earlier.
The Utah House on Feb. 16 rejected First Substitute House Bill 237 (Requirements for Off-Highway Vehicle Use) in a tied 37-37 vote after extended debate over child safety and fiscal impact. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Aaron Tilton, framed the measure as correcting an inequity that criminalized some people for transporting unregistered or expired OHVs while others doing the same by trailer were not cited.
Tilton said the bill would add an affirmative defense for transporting an OHV to a residence, business or storage facility and would permit a six-year-old to be certified for supervised riding after training, with a requirement that riders 12 or younger remain in visual contact (about 300 feet) of an adult 18 or older. He also said the Parks Division would have rulemaking authority to define appropriate vehicle size or governors.
An amendment (Amendment 3, dated Feb. 16) removing a fiscal note of $50,400 was adopted before final debate; Tilton said the change eliminated an appropriation the Park Service had initially assumed it needed for devices such as radar guns. ‘‘This is a good bill,’’ Tilton told colleagues during summation, arguing the measure promotes education and safer riding.
Opponents raised safety concerns. Representative Newnish Walker said, ‘‘I just have a hard time seeing a 6 year old on any power off road vehicle at all,’’ and others pointed to risks when faster adults share trails or shorelines with small children. Sponsors noted that instructors and parents had testified in committee in favor of training and certification for younger riders.
After debate and a call of the House to secure a quorum, the measure failed to receive the majority needed for passage. The House record shows the roll call at final passage as 37 yes and 37 no.
