SB5366 - limited use of ORV on certain roads

Senate Bill SB5366 (limited ATV use on certain roads) is now before the full Senate and they could vote on it at any time.

In its original form it would have allowed limited use of ATV on certain roads with common sense use restrictions, safety equipment and liability insurance requirements. Unfortunately it has been amended to please some anti-ORV organizations and now has features that are bad for our sport.

It would criminalize as a misdemeanor with a mandatory $500 fine, using any nonhighway vehicle on any public land not specifically designated as open to nonhighway vehicles. While we do not support riding where it is illegal, this could expand that to road or trails on DNR managed public land that is outside official designated ORV areas. Getting a criminal record for riding on the wrong logging road is just way to extreme.

It would also exempt quads with this new road use from any ORV permit requirements and by doing that reduce the funds for ORV trails while still being allowed to use the trails.

Instead of requiring an equipment inspection, the vehicle owner would sign their own compliance statement to present to the department of Licensing. While this would be convenient, by signing the form the owner would be declaring their their vehicle complies with variety of equipment laws within RCW46.37. If a mistake is made and they are wrong about the compliance, the penalty is a gross misdemeanor and that can include significant jail time. This could easily send well meaning people to jail just because they were not thoroughly knowledgeable in interpreting State law. That is far too extreme and it would make much more sense to have the inspection done by a profession as is being done with the motorcycle conversions now allowed by the passing of SB5800 last year.

What started out as a good bill is now a bad one.

Please contact your State Senator and time them to vote no on SB5366 if it is not fixed before the Senate votes on it. Promises of fixes later are not good enough.

If you don’t know who your State Senator is or how to contact them, go to www.leg.wa.gov

Thanks Tod

This bill is getting worse.
So bad that the anti-ORV groups are supporting it.
Some amendments are lunking that would add more criminal penalties and jail time.

It is now in the hands of the House Transportation Committee.

Ask them to let 5366 die.

There email addys:

Judy.Clibborn@leg.wa.gov
Andy.billig@leg.wa.gov
Marco.Liias@leg.wa.gov
Mike.Armstrong@leg.wa.gov
Mike.Hargrove@leg.wa.gov
Jan.Angle@leg.wa.gov
Katrina.Asay@leg.wa.gov
Deb.Eddy@leg.wa.gov
Fred.Finn@leg.wa.gov
Joe.Fitzgibbon@leg.wa.gov
Drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov
Laurie.Jinkins@leg.wa.gov
Norm.Johnson@leg.wa.gov
Brad.Klippert@leg.wa.gov
Dan.Kristiansen@leg.wa.gov
Connie.Ladenburg@leg.wa.gov
Jim.McCune@leg.wa.gov
Jim.Moeller@leg.wa.gov
Jeff.Morris@leg.wa.gov
Luis.Moscoso@leg.wa.gov
Jason.Overstreet@leg.wa.gov
Chris.Reykdal@leg.wa.gov


Ann.rivers@leg.wa.gov
Jay.rodne@leg.wa.gov
Cindy.ryu@leg.wa.gov
Matt.shea@leg.wa.gov
Dean.takko@leg.wa.gov
Dave.upthegrove@leg.wa.gov
Hans.zeiger@leg.wa.gov