A controversial bill that would require people to obtain a driver’s license and insurance to operate an electric bike is on the governor’s desk, awaiting his signature or veto.
The legislation advanced out of both houses of the Legislature — by votes of 28-10 in the Senate and 53-10 in the Assembly — during a marathon voting session Monday.
Bill sponsor Senate President Nicholas Scutari introduced the legislation in November after a spate of fatal crashes around the state that involved e-bikes. Bill supporters said they had become alarmed at the number of young people they saw zipping around neighborhoods at high speeds on e-bikes.
Critics of the bill were successful in getting the bill amended, but they remain opposed. Corey Hannigan of the Tristate Transportation Campaign called the legislation confusing and said it would sharply curtail access to e-bikes for low- and moderate-income New Jerseyans.
“It’s difficult to support something that breaks away from every other state in the union and is the most punitive e-bike law in the country,” he said. “This is a huge administrative burden for the people who would most benefit from this transportation.”
Current law classifies electric bikes into three different categories, depending on how powerful and fast they are. Bikes that have a maximum speed of 28 miles per hour require licensing, registration, and insurance.
The bill would create new terms of “electric motorized bicycle,” which would include bikes with pedals and an electric motor capable of over 750 watts that can exceed 28 miles per hour, and “low-speed electric bicycle,” which would apply to bikes with an electric motor that provides assistance when the rider is pedaling and stops once the bike reaches 20 miles per hour. A “motorized bicycle” would be one equipped with a motor that provides assistance while pedaling or via a throttle.
Under the bill, e-bike users would be required to register a low-speed electric bicycle and have a driver’s license. Insurance would also be required for motorized bicycles and electric motorized bicycles.
It would also bar people from riding e-bikes from dusk to dawn without reflectors, and prohibit the sale of modification kits aimed at turning a low-speed e-bike into a motorized or electric motorized bicycle.
The bill would also restrict minors under 15 from operating an e-bike or motorized bike, and require those 17 and older to have a driver’s license. Anyone 15 or 16 would have to have a permit. There is an exemption if you rent the bike from a company that has a contract with a local government.
E-bike owners would have one year to meet the new licensing, registration, and insurance requirements. And people found to be violating these requirements could be fined up to $50.
The bill also includes a one-year ban on the sale of electric bikes online.
Nationally, e-bike injuries rose by 293% from 2019 to 2022, according to Columbia University researchers.
Gov. Phil Murphy, who has not indicated whether he would sign the bill, has until Jan. 20 to act on the legislation. That’s his last day in office.
Republished courtesey of New Jersey Monitor, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Jersey Monitor maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Terrence T. McDonald for questions: info@newjerseymonitor.com.
