Current Legislative Updates
MMA's 2009-2010 Legislative Agenda
CREATION DATE: November 11, 2008
UPDATE DATE: April 15, 2010
The MMA’s 2009-2010 Legislative Agenda has been defined, final preparations have been completed and the Bills have been filed. These Bills have been presented to those Elected Officials best suited to support and tend to these issues of great interest to the MMA’s membership.
The Bills listed below (in no particular order) are those the MMA sponsored in this 2009-2010 legislative session:
1) “Danny’s Bill” – SENATE BILL NUMBER 1934 (S.1934) - Named for Danny Wood from Saugus, Mass, whose life was tragically cut short in 2006 due to a fatal motorcycle accident. The MMA’s proposal assures that the funds collected from you with each annual motorcycle registration are correctly allocated to motorcycle safety training programs across the Commonwealth; this bill will increase the existing allocation to $5 while also changing the state’s accounting practices to make it more difficult for these funds to be appropriated for uses other then as directed by law.
Current - Attempting to get movement from Senate Ways & Means
2/3/2010 - Assigned to Senate Ways & Means
2/3/2010 - Reported "Favorable, Ought to Pass" from Transportation
3/26/2009 - Assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation
3/26/2009 - Official Senate Bill Text for S.1934
2/20/2009 - Bill-Danny's Bill Text - Click Here
Filed by Senator McGee and co-sponsored by 26 additional legislators (7 Senators and 19 Representatives)
2) “Right-of-Way Bill" – SENATE BILL NUMBER 1571 (S.1571) - Designed to increase the Civil fines and financial responsibilities and Criminal penalties of motorists who violate the right of way of others, resulting in serious injury and\or death. Currently, if a motorist violates your right of way, for example by turning left in front of your oncoming motorcycle, this motorist may receive nothing more than a $35.00 fine. Even if you are seriously maimed or killed, the violator may walk away with nothing more than what amounts to a “slap on the wrist”. The MMA’s proposals increase the financial and legal penalties associated with such violations.
4/5/2010 - Reporting Date extended to May 7, 2010
3/26/2009 - Assigned to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary
3/26/2009 - Official Senate Bill Text for S.1571
2/21/2009 - Bill-Right-of-Way Bill Text - Click Here
Filed by Senator Brewer and co-sponsored by 19 additional legislators (4 Senators and 15 Representatives)
3) “Motorcycle Sound Emissions Bill” – SENATE BILL NUMBER 1893 (S.1893) - Designed to direct law enforcement officials to enforce the current motorcycle sounds emissions definitions, testing regulations, and maximum sounds levels as already clearly specified as opposed to more ambiguous “harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise” definitions. Federal Law requires State defined testing procedures for sound emissions and makes no mention of the unmeasurable practices currently “on the books” which allows law enforcement full latitude to determine whether a motorcycle noise emission is “illegal”. The MMA’s proposal identifies the correct segments of current Massachusetts Law which define how Sound Emissions for Motorcycles should be defined.
1/13/2010 - Assigned to Study for further analysis
3/26/2009 - Assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation
3/26/2009 - Official Senate Bill Text for S.1893
2/21/2009 - Bill-MC Sound Emissions Bill Text-Click Here
Filed by Senator Brewer and co-sponsored by 14 additional legislators (3 Senators and 11 Representatives)
4) “Adult Helmet Choice Bill” – SENATE BILL NUMBER 2017 (S.2017) - Designed for adult motorcycle operators, this bill is identical to the version reported as “OUGHT TO PASS” by the Massachusetts Senate in 2006. The MMA proposal assures that appropriate safety standards are defined by the RMV and are available to the public and manufacturers; it also assures appropriate handling of penalties and enforcement.
1/13/2010 - Assigned to Study for further analysis
3/26/2009 - Assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation
3/26/2009 - Official Senate Bill Text for S.2017
2/21/2009 - Bill-Adult Helmet Choice Bill Text - Click Here
Filed by Senator Brewer and co-sponsored by 16 additional legislators (5 Senators and 11 Representatives)
5) "Ryan's Bill" - SENATE BILL NUMBER 1894 (S.1894) - Named for Ryan Orcutt from Brockton, Mass, whose life was tragically cut short in 2009 due to a fatal motorcycle accident. Designed for junior motorcycle operators, this bill equalizes the training and education requirements for junior motorcycle operators vs junior automobile operators wishing to obtain a license by introducing the requirement for a Basic Motorcycle Rider Course for Motorcyclists between the ages of 16 and 18. This is both consistent with the MMA’s mission of Safety and Education but also with existing law targeted to junior automobile operators.
3/23/2010 - Assigned to House Ways & Means
3/23/2010 - Voted and passed Senate 35-0, engrossed
3/23/2010 - re-Drafted to S.2344
3/23/2010 - Reported "Favorable, Ought to Pass" from Senate Ways & Means
2/3/2010 - Assigned to Senate Ways & Means
2/3/2010 - Reported "Favorable, Ought to Pass" from Transportation
3/26/2009 - Assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation
3/26/2009 - Official Senate Bill Text for S.1894
2/21/2009 - Bill-Motorcycle Junior Operator Bill - Click here
Filed by Senator Brewer and co-sponsored by 26 additional legislators (9 Senators and 17 Representatives)