As summer edges closer, legislatures across the country are considering a number of bills aiming to be signed into law before they adjourn for the season. While some bills will ultimately go through and be signed into law (even some last-minute), others will die and have to be re-introduced once legislature is back in session. Either way, SEMA is keeping a close eye on anything and everything that could affect our beloved hobby.

Over the past month, legislatures have considered bills of topics including license plates, registration requirements, taxes, titles and exhaust systems, to name a few. But the biggest area of focus this month was on off-road motorized recreation.

In West Virginia, a bill looking to expand OHV opportunities in the Cabwaylingo State Forest made it all the way to the governor before being vetoed. Similarly, a bill aiming to publicize a list of OHV areas in the state died when West Virginia’s legislature adjourned for the season. While West Virginia legislators may now be on break, a bill aiming to digitally map all of the OHV areas in the state was signed into law by the governor at the end of April.

In California, OHV fans are still being asked to express their opposition to a bill aiming to make it legal for money collected through the OHV Program to be used in other, non-related areas. Despite threatening to close existing or new OHV areas, the bill was passed by a second Senate committee just over a week ago. Fortunately, there is some good news coming out of California for the OHV community in the form of a bill introduced to extend the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Program through January 1, 2019. This bill has been approved by the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.

An OHV bill has also been introduced in Alaska, which would make the state responsible for promoting outdoor recreation. A similar bill introduced in Kentucky previously was just signed into law.

In regards to non-OHV classic and antique vehicle owners, we can celebrate a win in West Virginia in regards to allowing for titles to be issued for abandoned vehicles, as well as a bill that was just approved by the House that would roll back 15-percent ethanol requirements in the state. We can also celebrate a win in Nevada, with the withdrawal of a bill aiming to increase registration requirements for classic vehicles.

In Missouri, a bill aiming to permanently register historic trailers is doing well, having recently been approved by the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety Committee, allowing it to move to the Senate floor. Another bill doing well include a Pennsylvania bill aiming to provide historic military plates to eligible vehicles. Single license plate bills have also been introduced for all vehicles in Maine and kit cars in Ohio. Unfortunately, a bill in West Virginia that would have provided special plates for collector vehicles died when the legislature adjourned, but so did a bill that would have required both front and rear license plates on all vehicles.

Other notable legislative happenings in the last month include the introduction of a bill in Louisiana that would exempt collector vehicles from state and local taxes. A previously-introduced bill in Kentucky that was aiming to create a mileage-based user fee program is dying. The bill aiming to criminalize the use of certain exhaust systems in West Virginia is also dying as legislature is adjourned, and finally, a bill in Maine which was aiming to reduce the excise taxes on motor vehicles in the state is also dying a slow, legislative death.

Some good and some bad have come over the last month in state legislatures, but for the most part, our hobby is looking solid and protected thanks to the folks at SEMA and the SEMA Action Network. Be sure to “enlist” in SAN for all your detailed state and federal legislative updates delivered straight to your inbox.