Committee Advances Scooter Bill, Leaves Regulation to Cities and Counties

The House Transportation Committee moved Senate Bill 159 forward on a do-pass recommendation after a presentation by Senator Gooch.

Senator Gooch said the bill "deals with an issue of scooters" and would "set forth the definitions of what an electronic scooter is," authorize their use on roads in cities and counties and give local governments the primary authority to regulate them. "They're an important part of the last mile solution to transit in in America," he said.

The measure was described as the product of a study committee that recommended less-restrictive rules than an earlier version of the bill. Representative Nelowitz asked whether the scooter bill would affect the existing definition of electric bicycles; Senator Gooch replied, "Not impact the e bike definition at all." A committee member then confirmed that the devices under discussion have a 20 miles per hour maximum and "shouldn't be on the highways anyway," a point Senator Gooch affirmed.

Representative Prince moved the do-pass recommendation; Representative Nelowitz seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote and the chair announced that the bill "passes." The record showed a do-pass recommendation but the committee did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript.

The bill now moves forward with the committee's recommendation. The transcript contains no detail in this hearing about specific local regulatory language or next legislative steps beyond the do-pass action.