Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, attached an amendment to the House Financial Services Appropriations Bill which prevents the enforcement of an overreaching prohibition of lead in ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and snowmobiles. Rehberg’s amendment, which passed unanimously, mirrors a bill he introduced in March, 2009 to permanently exempt ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and snowmobiles from the onerous regulations.

“It’s clear the Consumer Product Safety Commission overstepped the intent the law,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “The original legislation Congress passed was meant to keep kids safe from lead content in toys. Ironically, the overreaching enforcement wound up putting kids at risk by forcing them to use larger more dangerous machines that are intended only for adults. If the Commission is confused about Congressional intent, this legislative directive will clarify the situation for them once and for all.”

Rehberg has taken a two-pronged approach to exempt youth off-road vehicles from overregulation. Legislatively, he introduced a popular measure to permanently exempt ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and snowmobiles from enforcement under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

He has also asked the CPSC to act on its own to exempt off-road vehicles from enforcement. In April, the CPSC rejected a permanent exclusion for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles from the lead content limits and instead imposed a two-year stay of enforcement – which can be arbitrarily lifted at any time. That flexibility creates a need for a legislative backup, which Rehberg provided with his amendment.

“This is a question of redundancy that ensures ATV enthusiasts won’t get punished by political bickering in Washington, D.C.,” explained Rehberg. “We’ve seen what happens when bureaucrats are left to make decisions on their own, so I’m not going to take any chances.”

“Congressman Rehberg has been one of the strongest allies for off-highway vehicle enthusiasts, and we appreciate his efforts to rectify this problem,” said Ed Moreland, American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) vice president for government relations. “While the fight isn’t over, Rehberg’s amendment is a big step in the right direction to end the lead ban on youth model off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

“The stakes are huge,” said Moreland. “To enhance the safety of America’s youth when participating in a treasured American pastime, they must have appropriately sized off-highway vehicles to ride. Also in jeopardy is the livelihood of the thousands of small businesses and their employees that sell and service youth model off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles throughout the country. That is why the AMA strongly urges the adoption of this amendment.”