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House Transportation subcommittee advances multiple bills on ATVs, bicycles and pedestrians; several continued or reported
Summary
The Highway Safety and Policy Subcommittee reported or continued a package of transportation bills including two ATV access proposals (continued to 2027), farm-vehicle lighting, bicycle yielding and signal changes, contract parking enforcement changes, and pedestrian provisions for divided highways; most measures were reported without controversy or were continued for further stakeholder work.
The House Committee on Transportation received the Highway Safety and Policy Subcommittee report and took action on a slate of bills on Mayors’ and localities’ transportation issues.
Two bills seeking to expand ATV access for economic development—House Bill 302 (Delegate Morefield) and House Bill 587 (Delegate Ballard)—were continued until the 2027 session to allow stakeholders to work through outstanding issues. The committee took these actions by voice vote.
Several other measures were reported by the committee:
• House Bill 646 (Delegate Kent) — would allow green warning lights on certain farm vehicles; subcommittee recommended reporting 8–0 and the committee moved to report the bill.
• House Bill 661 (Delegate Willard) — modifies bicycle yielding rules at turn sections and allows riding abreast where not impeding traffic; subcommittee recommended reporting 8–0.
• House Bill 783 (Delegate Anderson) — would permit contract parking enforcement in high‑tourism localities by removing a population threshold; the subcommittee recommended reporting with amendments (passed subcommittee 7–1).
• House Bill 812 (Delegate Carr) — revises bicycle-signal guidelines (examples cited: Manassas, Arlington); subcommittee reported a substitute 8–0 and the committee reported the substitute (committee roll on the record: 20–1 as stated on the transcript).
• House Bill 819 (Delegate Carr) — permits pedestrians on divided highways without shoulders to keep to the extreme right edge of the roadway regardless of traffic direction; subcommittee passed 8–0 and the committee reported the bill (transcript records committee vote as 20–1).
The subcommittee report concluded and the committee adjourned. Many of these items were routine or technical in nature and advanced without extended debate on the floor; a few items were continued to allow additional stakeholder negotiation.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in the transcript): • HB 302 (Morefield) — continued to 2027 (voice vote). • HB 320 (Cole) — substitute reported and referred to Courts Committee (committee roll not specified). • HB 365 (State Police) — amendment adopted; reported as amended (subcommittee 7–1; committee tally not specified). • HB 587 (Ballard) — continued to 2027 (voice vote). • HB 646 (Kent) — reported (subcommittee 8–0). • HB 661 (Willard) — reported (subcommittee 8–0). • HB 783 (Anderson) — reported with amendments (subcommittee 7–1). • HB 812 (Carr) — substitute passed 8–0 in subcommittee; recorded committee vote 20–1. • HB 819 (Carr) — subcommittee 8–0; recorded committee vote 20–1.
Committee members were given the opportunity for public comment on amended items but no members of the public came forward during the session excerpted in the transcript.
