Legislative Update - Week 13 - Trailers and Stickers

Some action! The bill on bike trailers got amended and the one for a 20mph neighborhood speed limit will have a hearing. A couple of other bills have moved out of committee to the floor of the chamber.

Bills Specifically about Bicycling

Senate Bill 130 for bicycle traffic lights. Two hearings and work sessions last week meant the House committee had several questions - but the bill's still on track. BikePortland has more.

Senate Bill 415 would expand penalties for harming a vulnerable user of the road. No change

Senate Bill 846 would regulate standards for bicycle trailers. The bill has been amended and no longer regulates standards; instead, it calls for an informational sticker that would disclose whether the trailer meets existing ASTM standards. This looks like useful transparency - any dissent out there? It now has a "do pass" recommendation and got a second reading last week.

House Bill 2331 to study bicycle licensing. No change.

Relevant to Transportation Generally

House Bill 2437 on school busing. No change. See also HB 3622. No change

House Bill 3149 on personal car-sharing. No change. With no activity since March, this looks moribund now.

House Bill 3150 (engrossed with amendments) would permit local jurisdictions to enact a 20mph speed limit on neighborhood streets. It's back! Hearing on the 5th.

Thursday-May 5
Time: 3:00 P.M.
Room: HR B

House Bill 3186, co-sponsored by Representative Berger, would eliminate the jobs loophole on the texting and cel phone ban. Here's the amended version. It looks like it closes most of the loopholes, but perhaps yet leaves a couple. In any case it moves to the House floor with a "do pass" recommendation.

Bills Moving, but No Longer Relevant

House Bill 2332 would have created a weight-based schedule of traffic fines. Doug confirms it got the gun-n-stuff treatment. The amended bill just changes registration fees. It passed the House (but no longer matters from a bicycling standpoint.)

House Bill 2166 would authorize lottery funds "for transportation projects funded from Multimodal Transportation Fund." No change - except it's for $40M instead of $100M. And, as noted before, it doesn't include bikes as "multi-modal."

Dead or Moribund Bills

House Bill 2228 prohibits bike transportation of child under 6 years old.

House Bill 2333 prohibiting studded tires.

House Bill 2602, the headphone ban.

House Bill 2824, creating the crime of altering or removing a stolen bike's serial number.

House Bill 3178 to encourage transit-oriented development to be funded by tax-increment financing.

Senate Bill 160, the prohibition on lap dogs while driving, would "create offense of driver operation with obstructing animal."

Senate Bill 266 on electronic tolling.

Senate Bill 344 (but see HB 3150 above)

Senate Bill 604 may be a gut-n-stuff.

Senate Bill 660 would decrease the fines for stop sign violations on bike.

Proposed Oregon Constitutional Amendment to permit gas taxes to be used for pollution control and congestion reduction. No change.