Earlier this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade convened a hearing focused on America’s automotive future, including the deployment of autonomous vehicles, the federal definition of a motorcycle, and pending right to repair legislation.
A major theme of the hearing was the urgent need for clear, consistent national standards for autonomous vehicle technology. Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky emphasized the importance of federal leadership, stating, “We need a national standard that is robust, safe and gives people assurances on the technology. We cannot have 50 different patchwork standards.” This concern mirrors long-standing warnings from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) that motorcyclists cannot be an afterthought in the design and regulation of emerging vehicle technologies.
The hearing also addressed the outdated federal definition of a motorcycle, particularly as new vehicle types such as autocycles enter the marketplace. The MRF, joined by ABATE of Wisconsin, submitted letters for the record in support of modernizing the federal definition and urging passage of H.R. 3385, legislation intended to ensure that motorcycles are accurately defined and treated consistently across all states.
Right to repair legislation was another focal point, with discussion of the REPAIR Act, H.R. 1566. Bill Hanvey, President and CEO of the Auto Care Association, testified in strong support of the bill, saying, “The REPAIR Act simply allows the consumer to be able to choose where, when and how their vehicle is repaired.” Hanvey also noted that more than 235,000 independent repair shops operate nationwide, providing consumers with reliable and affordable repair options that are increasingly threatened by restricted access to vehicle data and tools. The MRF supports the REPAIR Act and believes that the right to modify is also a key part of this discussion.
The MRF remains committed to ensuring that federal lawmakers understand the unique needs of motorcyclists, whether that means being properly recognized in vehicle definitions, accounted for in the deployment of autonomous technology, or empowered to maintain, repair and modify their own machines. This week’s hearing demonstrated growing momentum in Congress to address these critical issues.
Click the buttons below to read the letters submitted by the MRF and ABATE of Wisconsin
MRF Letter