• 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)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

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.