Some Long Overdue Logic Injected in CPSI Act
by Jason Giacchino

In the event that you haven’t been following along, lead content provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, which became law on Feb. 10, 2009, contained strict guidelines for toys and other products marketed toward children 12 and under that have products which contain lead or lead-based materials. And while ATVs weren’t targeted specifically in this Act, they certainly suffered the ramifications.

Because of the fact that ATVs contain lead in their brake parts, battery terminals and a few internal components, they, along with countless other items containing lead were immediately withdrawn from the market and have remained so since early 2009.

Good news is that a key U.S. House subcommittee has approved legislation to address flaws in the law that effectively bans the sale of kids’ off-highway vehicles (OHVs) at the end of the year, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.

On May 12 2011, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade approved and sent to the full Committee on Energy and Commerce the Enhancing CPSC Authority and Discretion Act (ECADA) of 2011 for further consideration.

The ECADA would exempt kids’ dirtbike and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) battery terminals from the lead-content limits of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, which is commonly known as the lead law. It may also allow exemptions to the lead-content portion of the law for OHV parts under certain conditions.

The CPSIA bans the making, importing, distributing or selling of any product intended for children 12 and under that contains more than a specified amount of lead in any accessible part.

“The ECADA is a step in the right direction,” said Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations. “We are hopeful that the final legislation will fully address the problem with an outright exemption, like the one in H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act.”

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), author of H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, said: “I appreciate the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade’s continued work to undo the consequences of the overreaching regulations created by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. However, this legislation still does not go far enough in exempting youth-sized motorcycles and ATVs.

“H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, provides the necessary exemption for these vehicles and is the most common-sense approach to this issue,” he continued. “Montanans and folks across the country who enjoy these products are waiting for Congress to show leadership and exempt these products once and for all.”

The AMA conducted an AMA Family Capitol Hill Climb on Thursday, May 26, at the nation’s Capitol in Washington, D.C., to help educate lawmakers about the need to change the CPSIA.

The event promoted the future of kids’ dirtbike and ATV riding, and scores of young riders and their families attended. Following a screening of the “Kids Just Want To Ride!” video, all attendees had the opportunity to meet with their congressional representatives to urge support for H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act.

For more information about the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, go to www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com/.