Legislative Update

MAY THE ODDS EVER BE IN YOUR FAVOR

Lane Filtering YOU ASKED FOR IT!

The Lane Filtering bill has been dropped. Now comes the hard work and we need your help.

I have uploaded the pdf document for HB2285 motorcycle operation; passing vehicles. The lane filtering bill sponsored and introduced by Representative Noel Campbell. http://azmotorcyclelobby.com/bill-tracker 

Here’s the breakdown of how things work:

The bill will be introduced on the floor of the House of Representatives and then assigned to committee.

This is where we need the first big push for support. The legislature has something called the Request to Speak System (RTS). EVERYONE needs to be signed up. It will give everyone an opportunity to voice their support for this bill. The more support we have, the easier it will be to get passed.

Request to Speak. Sign up for an account if you don’t have one, dust off your password if you do. If you don’t we can help. IF YOU CANNOT register in person at the State Capital, send your name and email address to lobbyist@abateofaz.org and a volunteer will register for you!

Be ready to contact your legislators.

Pick up the phone. If a state lawmaker gets 10 calls a day on any given topic, their phone is ringing off the hook. Emails, by contrast, are easy to ignore — especially since each lawmaker gets hundreds of them every day. Don’t be afraid to make a call! Be polite, introduce yourself by name as a constituent, and be friendly to the lawmaker’s assistant; s/he has tons of power.

Your presence matters.

For every 10,000 people using RTS, 1,000 make a phone call. 50 attend a hearing. And 5 request a meeting with their lawmaker. This makes showing up in person one of the most effective ways to advocate. As session progresses, I’ll share more about when and how you can head down in groups to make your voices heard. This is one of the biggest reasons we host Motorcycle Day at the Dome on February 19th.

327,000 motorcyclists in Arizona are a loud voice. If we all are on the same page. Let’s get this done!!!

Here are a few other bills as of right now that have been introduced and that we are tracking for you.


H2055 CIVIL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS; COMMUNITY RESTITUTION

A person who violates traffic and vehicle regulation statutes may perform court-approved community restitution in lieu of paying a civil penalty, surcharge, assessment or fee. The court is prohibited from assessing the time payment fee (set elsewhere in statute and currently $20) on civil traffic violations. ARS Titles Affected: 28 First sponsor: Rep. Biasiucci (R - Dist 5)

H2060 AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES; SAFETY FEATURES; PROHIBITIONS

A person is prohibited from overriding the the safety features of a fully autonomous vehicle or partially autonomous vehicle by modifying the vehicle's computer program, mechanically modifying the vehicle, or placing any physical device, including a weight, on the vehicle's steering wheel. ARS Titles Affected: 28 First sponsor: Rep. Kavanagh (R - Dist 23).

H2243 APPROPRIATION; WIDENING; INTERSTATE 10

Appropriates $50 million from the general fund in FY2020-21 to the Department of Transportation to widen Interstate 10 between Chandler and Casa Grande. ARS Titles Affected: 41 First sponsor: Rep. Shope (R - Dist 8).

H2285 MOTORCYCLE OPERATION; PASSING VEHICLES

The operator of a two-wheeled motorcycle is permitted to overtake and pass another vehicle that is stopped in the same direction of travel in the same lane and to operate the motorcycle between the lanes of traffic on a street that is divided into at least two adjacent traffic lanes in the same direction of travel with a speed limit that does not exceed 45 miles per hour, if the motorcycle is traveling at a speed that does not exceed 15 miles per hour. ARS Titles Affected: 28 First sponsor: Rep. Campbell (R - Dist 1)

S1078 VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES; PRORATION

The Department of Transportation is authorized to prorate the annual vehicle registration fee for a registration of less than 12 months. The Dept is prohibited from collected a vehicle registration fee retroactively for any period that the vehicle was not registered if the current owner of the vehicle was not the owner of the vehicle during any part of the period in which the vehicle was not registered. Retroactive to August 31, 2019. ARS Titles Affected: 28 First sponsor: Sen. Bowie (D - Dist 18)

The Motorcycle Safety Fund extension will be introduced by the time this goes to print. Representative Shawnna Bolick has agreed to sponsor this for us. Watch the ABATE Facebook page for updates.

Mike Infanzon
Legislative Director