FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jeff Hennie, MRF Vice-President of Government Relations
jeff@mrf.org (e-mail)
US House Introduces Motorcycle Safety Month Resolution.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has learned that the US House introduced a non-binding "sense of Congress" measure supporting the goals of a "Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month." Motorcycle Champion Michael Burgess (R-TX) introduced HRES 339, with a strong second from Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). You should recognize HRES 339's main sponsor, Mr. Burgess, as the same member of Congress who is leading the charge on reforming the HIPAA law that allows for insurance discrimination of motorcycle-related injuries. The bill's second sponsor, Ms. Giffords, hails from Arizona where she has a terrific relationship with ABATE of AZ and all of the other rider organizations in Arizona (and yes, she rides too).
The US House of Representatives now operates under a rule that prohibits marking periods on the calendar for any specific purpose or cause. They had to preclude themselves from officially appointing special weeks, months and days because of the huge push from every advocacy group in the country during the mid 1990s trying to secure an official designation for their cause. When it became apparent that the calendar is very limited and the demand for recognition is very unlimited, the House changed the rules and banned any legislation that officially recognizes a specific period of time.
So what does this mean for a nationwide motorcycle safety awareness period? Well basically since the House cannot pass legislation for a special time period that will read identical to the Senate counterpart, as it must before the President can sign it into law, no law can ever again be passed setting aside a special week or month for any cause. Therefore, HRES 339 merely "supports the goals of a motorcycle safety awareness month" but does not and cannot officially designate such a month.
Instead, HRES 339 lists a multitude of positive aspects of motorcycling such as fuel efficiency, decreasing congestion, and how being aware of motorcycles benefits all road users. And then there’s what I think is the best line of legislation, "Whereas the motorcycling community is dedicated to decreasing motorcycle crashes through training, education, licensing, enforcement, personal responsibility and increased public awareness."
Similar pieces of legislation that many Motorcyclists' Rights Organizations have passed into state law officially set specific dates for increased motorcycle awareness, but those pieces of legislation only affect riding community in their particular state.
HRES 339 provides the perfect opportunity for you to make contact with your federal representative regarding a non-controversial motorcycling resolution. And co-sponsoring ceremonial resolutions like HRES 339 is a great way for your federal representative to show his or her support for motorcycling, and it is an easy ask. The MRF encourages you to contact your federal elected officials on this issue.
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(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction
permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated
in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists' rights
organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists'
rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC,
the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted
exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early
1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause
of rider safety and rider freedom.
The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists' rights organizations and the
very founders of the American riders' rights movement among its leading
members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and
regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public
awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights
organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional
and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as
well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.