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House panel backs raising helmet age for e-bikes and e-scooters to 18
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Summary
A Florida House subcommittee on Thursday reported favorably HB 667, sponsored by Rep. Anna Valdez, which would require riders under 18 to wear helmets while operating electric bikes and scooters; student witnesses from Freedom High School urged passage after local fatalities. The vote was 18-0.
Representative Anna Valdez told the Government Operations Subcommittee that HB 667 raises the mandated helmet age for operators of electric personal assisted mobility devices from under 16 to under 18, a change she said came from Hillsborough County students who have been directly affected by e-bike and e-scooter injuries.
"Keep teens alive," Valdez said as she closed debate, asking colleagues for their support. Four students from Freedom High School — Maggie Takamatsu, Zoe Weston, Abigail Carnahan and Philip Ernst — testified in favor of the bill, telling the committee that e-device fatalities and serious injuries in their community convinced them the law needed to change. "We are here today because our community has been directly impacted by e scooter and e bike fatalities," Maggie Takamatsu said.
The students cited research and local tragedies as the reason for the change; one testimony cited studies from the CDC and regional children's hospitals noting helmet use reduces severe head injuries. Rep. Rosenwald and other members praised the students’ testimony and supported the bill, while Rep. Young asked whether existing speed limits for the devices might also be revisited; Valdez said other legislation is examining speed caps and noted some devices can reach 25–30 miles per hour.
After brief debate and no amendments, the subcommittee recorded an 18-0 vote to report HB 667 favorably to the next stage.
What happens next: The bill now moves onward in the legislative process where floor action and further hearings could follow. The committee’s favorable report does not by itself change statute; it advances the measure for additional consideration.
