Date: 04/30/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1345

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 15-1345 to the Committee of the WPASS



01:17 PM -- HB 15-1345

Senator Baumgardner, Chair, called the meeting to order. A quorum was present.

01:18 PM

Senator Neville, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1345. Current law requires that a motorcyclist obtain a motorcycle endorsement on his or her driver's license. Motorcyclists and passengers are also required by current law to wear eye protection and, if under the age of 18, a helmet. The bill exempts motorcyclists and passengers of a three-wheel motorcycle from these requirements if the motorcycle has a top speed of 25 miles per hour, a windshield, and seatbelts (motorcycles meeting these criteria are also known as auto rickshaws or tuk-tuks).

01:19 PM -- Walid Mourtada, representing e-Tuk USA, testified in support of the bill. He said that under current law, drivers of tuk-tuks are required to get a motorcycle license, and therefore, anyone under 18 who is riding on a tuk-tuk must wear a helmet. He described the difficulty with identifying passengers under 18 and making them use a helmet. He discussed the differences between motorcycles and tuk-tuks, including the fact that the latter can only reach a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. Mr. Mourtada responded to questions from the committee regarding the helmet laws for youth, whether tuk-tuks have steering wheels or handlebars, and the expected design of the vehicles.

01:26 PM -- Dennis Haberstumphf, representing A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education (ABATE) of Colorado, testified as neutral on the bill. He said that ABATE is concerned that accidents involving tuk-tuks are classified as motorcycle accidents, and he described how this classification could skew data on motorcycle accidents. He responded to questions from the committee regarding how motorcycles are currently classified and the differences between tuk-tuks and motor scooters. Senator Neville discussed the potential success of tuk-tuks as a business model.

01:34 PM

The committee took a brief recess.

01:36 PM

The committee came back to order. Senator Neville provided closing comments on the bill.
BILL:HB15-1345
TIME: 01:36:46 PM
MOVED:Scott
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1345 to the Committee of the Whole, with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Cooke
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Todd
Yes
Scott
Yes
Baumgardner
Yes
Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS