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Senate adopts amendment to House Bill 41 clarifying off-highway vehicle areas; bill moves to third-reading calendar
Summary
Senators adopted an amendment to House Bill 41 that inserts the phrase “private or public area open for off highway vehicle use” to distinguish public riding areas from private landowner permissions; the bill was advanced to the third-reading calendar by roll-call.
Senators on the floor adopted an amendment to House Bill 41 to clarify the status of areas used for off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation.
Senator Blackham moved the amendment to add the phrase “private or public area open for off highway vehicle use.” He said the language was intended to fix confusion raised in earlier debate so that public areas would be explicitly declared public, while private landowners would retain the ability to invite individuals onto their property without opening it to everyone. Senator Steele and others concurred with the amendment as addressing the concerns discussed earlier.
After no questions were raised, the presiding officer called the question. The amendment carried and the presiding officer announced House Bill 41 passed to the third-reading calendar by roll-call. The clerk read the roll; the chair recorded 24 aye votes, no nays and five absent.
The adoption of the clarification means future enforcement or interpretation of HB 41 will be guided by the explicit distinction between private land where owners may extend permission to select individuals and public areas that are open for OHV use.
