Legislation to exempt kids' motorcycles from a lead law, which would essentially ban the sale of kids' off-road vehicles, passed a major hurdle today as it was approved by the U.S. House. The senate will now take the exemption under consideration.
But judging by the near unanimous results in the house, it looks like the big bad lead law has finally been defeated. Motorcycle advocates have been pleading with lawmakers for months to exempt motorcycles from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
"This is excellent news for families around the nation who enjoy responsible motorized recreation," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. "Now the challenge will be to get our federal lawmakers to agree on one version of the bill and to send it to President Obama to be signed into law.
"It is vital that a lead-law exemption for OHVs be signed into law not only because it will once again allow families to enjoy riding together, but also so that children aren't forced to ride adult-sized machines that they may not be able to operate safely,"
The CPSIA bans the production or distribution of any product intended for children under the age of 12 that contains more than a specified amount of lead. The law was designed to ban small toys with a high lead content, but because of the lead provision, the CPSIA would also ban kids' motorcycles and ATVs.
The CPSIA will go into effect at the end of the year. The House voted to exempt motorcycles from the law with a 421-2 vote. Hopefully the senate can do the same before the year is over.
