Oregon Bill Would Ban E-Bikes for Riders Under 16

The Oregon House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday that would create three classes of electric bikes based on motor type and speed capabilities and ban e-bikes for anyone younger than 16. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Emerson Levy, is a “scaled-back version of what she originally proposed as Trenton’s Law, named for 15-year-old Trenton Burger,” who was struck by a van while riding an e-bike last June, reports an article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

The three e-bike classes defined in the bill mirror those in 41 other states that have adopted a three-class system for regulating e-bikes:

• Class 1 e-bikes only provide assistance when a rider is actively pedaling and stops its motor when the bike reaches 20 mph. 
• Class 2 e-bikes can be propelled without pedaling and top out at 20 mph. 
• Class 3 e-bikes require pedaling, come with a speedometer, and top out at 28 mph.

Writer Julia Shumway reports that the bill is paired with a second proposal, House Bill 4067, “which would create a task force to recommend laws on electric bikes, scooters and mopeds by Dec. 31, 2024.”