Motorcycle Riders Foundation Federal Government and Legislative Update Jeff Hennie
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Transcript of Motorcycle Riders Foundation Federal Government and Legislative Update Jeff Hennie
• Motorcycle Riders Foundation
• Federal Government and Legislative Update
• Jeff Hennie
• Vice President Government Relations and Public Affairs
• Washington, DC
Issues in CongressHighway Bill
Federal Agency NewsCensus
Motorcycle mythsPolitics
C.P.S.C• -Consumer Product Safety Commission• -Lead levels in children's toys• -Congress passes sweeping reform • -Setting allowable maximums of Pb in ANY item market to Americans 12 and under.
C.P.S.C.• -Wheel balancers, valve stems and foot
pegs.• -Parenting, common sense issues• -Standoff between CPSC and Congress.• -HR 1587 introduced by Rehberg (R-MT)• -62 cosponsors.• -child safety advocates• -This is why its important to keep entire
motorcycle community engaged on every issue.
C.P.S.C-Commission voted to keep ban in place -Also voted to extend stay of enforcement for 2
years.-gives industry time to come into compliance -decision was based on what would happen if
the smaller vehicles disappear-At a recent House hearing the MIC testified and
won support from several member of Congress.
-George Radanovich (R-CA): “the FDA allows 1 microgram of lead per gram of candy, A toy maker wanted an exemption to the law but was denied. The toy he was seeking exemption for had less than 1 microgram of lead in a brass axle but it still exceed the consumer product safety levels.”
H. Res. 269• Supporting the goals of a motorcycle
safety month• Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and
Michael Burgess(R-TX) • Lead sponsors and also co chairs of US
House Motorcycle Safety Caucus.• Giffords is an avid rider.
Michael “Boz” Kerr Bikers inside the Beltway
• Second annual • 100+ attendees• 16 States represented• Over 200 Congressional office visits• Stay tuned for info on next years event
which will be bigger and better!
Health Insurance • HIPAA loophole• Previous Congress have attempted to
address loophole.• Many issues kept a bill from getting
through both bodies of Congress.• Goal is to make it illegal for health
insurance providers to refuse payment for an injury simply because it came from a motorcycle mishap.
HR 1253Health Insurance Restrictions and
Limitations Clarification Act of 2009 • Requires insurance companies to disclose
in writing all health benefit exclusions or limitations at the point of sale.
• Passed the US House April 1 2009• No Senate bill, yet.• Puts Congress on record that this issue
needs addressing.• Bill sponsor Bart Stupak(D-MI) is Retiring
Health Reform• Some reform is long overdue• No mention of specifics for motorcycles• Congressional leadership drafted bill in
secrecy. • Could changes include mandatory
eyewear, glove, foot wear, leggings, helmet and jacket use?
• Mandatory rider education?• Or just not cover motorcycle injury at
all?
Right 2 Repair• -Current law forces vehicle owners to
return to the dealership for diagnostic issues.
• -OEM’s do not have to make diagnostic tools, training and software available to general public.
• Think of it as a windows update on your computer.
• -Shuts out small shops and vehicle owners.• -111th Congress, HR 2057, 64 cosponsors • -Senate Bill 3181 has 4 cosponsors• Good, bipartisan legislation
Distracted Driving• Senate Bill 1938
• Texting while driving only
• Blackmail tactics
• No MRF support
3 Wheelers• The MRF asked the feds to tighten the
language.
• Should reflect the modern vehicle landscape
• Request for Comment on a proposed rule by the US DOT was issued recently.
• MRF will be instrumental in the final rule.
Highway Bill• -Overview of current bill • -5 year bill that funds our nations
transportation infrastructure and safety programs.
• -Eighteen and half cents deposited from every gallon of gas bought.
• -Grant program and Advisory Council.
FY 2009 funds• Arizona $100K• California $480K• Colorado $110K• Idaho $100K• Minnesota $100K• Montana $100K• Nebraska $100K• Nevada $100K
• New Mexico $100K• North Dakota $100K• Oregon $100K• South Dakota $100K• Texas $366K• Utah $100K• Washington $126K• Wyoming $100K
Current Highway bill 2010 uses• Instructor fees• Other “look for
motorcyclists” campaigns
• Promotion of rider education
• Improvement of training ranges
• Mobile classrooms• Bumper stickers
• Awareness rallies• Video PSA• Billboards• Money may be
allocated to non profits according to law.
• Training motorcycles• Radio PSA
Highway bill-Current law (SAFETEA-LU) expire 9-30-
09. An house passed extension moves that to 12-31-2010
• -Current bill is in early phase and likely wont see passage this year.
• -no highway bill has ever been completed the year it was started.
Details• 2 page scribble grew to 775 pages• No transfer penalties or Federal blackmail
for motorcycle issues• 2010 grant funding stream will be
improved to a mandated percentage of each states highway safety funds.
• Eligible uses are rider education and awareness.
• Congress extended the program one year.
• August 1st is deadline.
Highlights
• HOV access maintained• NHTSA lobby ban maintained• Requires that all highway -safety plans
submitted by the states shall not include any rule or regulation requiring any motorcycle operator 18 and older to wear a helmet.
Rumble Strips• -Big picture problems• -Funding sources • -250 billion projected. House
Chairman Oberstar wants to spend about $550 bill.
• -Gas tax increase.• -All funding options have effectively
already been taken off table by the inability for the House, Senate and Obama administration to agree on anything.
Lautenberg (D-NJ)• Huge helmet advocate.• Chairs the subcommittee that is
responsible for the safety title of the highway bill.
• Sits on every committee or subcommittee transportation related.
• Recently called for a mandatory national helmet law in a Senate hearing.
Crash Causation Study• Mandated in SAFETEA-LU• Pilot study completed• 53 investigations, 23 completed• 7507.00 per crash• 900 crashes now 300• MSF withdraws $3 million pledge
MSF Naturalistic study• Unhappy with the feds, MSF launches own
study.
• Using volunteers, cameras and other sensors are attached to the motorcycle.
• Analyze data without having a crash.
• Other MSF news.
• New curriculum to include a one day course, and a set of on-road classes.
IIHS & HILDI• Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
• Highway Insurance Loss Data Institute
• Motorcycle Study
• Rider Ed doesn’t work.
• ABS Bikes are 37% percent safer.
• “Horsepower is bad enough, cheap horsepower is even worse”
DOT NHTSA NTSB
-Secretary LaHood former US Congressman and MRF Champion.
-NHTSA Administrator nominee Chuck Hurley former head of MADD withdraws.
-David Strickland, former Senate staffer, is now NHTSA boss. MRF met with him last month.
-NTSB traveling to states to lobby in favor of helmet law.
GHSA• Motorcycle Fatalities drop almost 16 percent
according to a Governors Highway Safety Assoc.
• Not because of reduced riding, although that’s what they want you to believe.
• Only addition nationally was the 2010 grants
• Helmet law advocates will use this as a springboard.
.
Where’s Everybody Going?• States that have powerful SMRO’s are going
to loose congressional seats after this years Census.
• Motorcyclists will need to adapt.
• States Rights argument decreases every time federal money and resources are diverted to the states.
• Urge your State government to not rely on Washington DC.
The myth of motorcycle data
• -Government ALWAYS uses 1997 today as the baseline when referencing the increase in motorcycle fatalities.
• -Actual government numbers go back to 1975.
• -When the entire picture is viewed it shows that 1997 was the lowest number of fatalities for the entire 33 year period
Light Blue: Registrations (in millions)Dark Blue: Fatalities (in thousands)
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1982 85 88 91 94 97 2000 3
New York, New York• Silent Night, 416-a, and Alan Gerson • Bikers unite!• Defeated in primary• More bills were introduced• None have moved
New Hampshire• Mandatory helmet bill
• Motorcycle Sound bill
• MRF testified on both bills
• Both bills defeated
Build Political Capital
• Engage your local officials on every level.
• Federal, State, County, Township• Face to face, phone calls, emails,
faxes.• Get involved in a campaign of some
kind.• Parades, Propaganda, Financially• Come to Washington DC to lobby
your Federal elected officials.