A bill to amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize use of electric personal assistive mobility device on trails and pedestrian walkways constructed or maintained with Federal-aid highway funds.

Amends Federal highway provisions to make an exception to the prohibition against the use of motorized vehicles on bicycle trails and pedestrian walkways for an "electric personal assistive mobility device," when permitted by State or local regulations. (Defines such a device as a self-balancing, non-tandem-wheeled device that is designed to transport only one person with personal baggage, is powered solely by an electric propulsion system, and has a top speed of 20 miles per hour.)

[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2024 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2024

  To amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize use of electric 
 personal assistive mobility devices on trails and pedestrian walkways 
       constructed or maintained with Federal-aid highway funds.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2002

  Mr. Smith of New Hampshire introduced the following bill; which was 
  read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 
                                 Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 23, United States Code, to authorize use of electric 
 personal assistive mobility devices on trails and pedestrian walkways 
       constructed or maintained with Federal-aid highway funds.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the electric personal assistive mobility device employs 
        advances in technology and energy efficiency to fully and 
        safely integrate the user with pedestrian transportation;
            (2) the device enables individuals to travel farther and 
        carry more without use of traditional vehicles; and
            (3) the device--
                    (A) promotes gains in productivity;
                    (B) minimizes environmental impacts; and
                    (C) facilitates better use of public ways.

SEC. 2. USE OF ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES ON TRAILS 
              AND PEDESTRIAN WALKWAYS.

    Section 217 of title 23, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph 
                (6); and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
            ``(5) when State or local regulations permit, electric 
        personal assistive mobility devices; and''; and
            (2) in subsection (j)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 
                paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) Electric personal assistive mobility device.--The 
        term `electric personal assistive mobility device' means a 
        self-balancing, nontandem-wheeled device that--
                    ``(A) is designed to transport only 1 person with 
                personal baggage;
                    ``(B) is powered solely by an electric propulsion 
                system; and
                    ``(C) has a top motor-powered speed not in excess 
                of 20 miles per hour.''.
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