Bill Description: House Bill 880 would exclude certain electric bikes from the definition of “electric-assisted bicycle” and declare that such electric bikes must be licensed, registered, and insured in order to be driven on public highways.
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Does it directly or indirectly create or increase penalties for victimless crimes or non-restorative penalties for non-violent crimes? Conversely, does it eliminate or decrease penalties for victimless crimes or non-restorative penalties for non-violent crimes?
House Bill 880 would amend Section 49-106, Idaho Code, which defines “electric-assisted bicycle” to exclude certain popular electric bike styles from the definition.
These would include any “vehicle, which may have the general appearance of a bicycle, on which any person may ride, that has two (2) tandem wheels, has an electric motor, and is not an E-scooter or similar device, if it meets one (1) or more of the following criteria:
The bill would also add language saying that electric vehicles that fall within this definition “shall not be included in any reference to an electric-assisted bicycle within Idaho law, rules, or regulations and shall be required to be licensed, registered, and insured in order to be driven on public highways.”
This bill clearly describes popular electric bikes typified by SUR-RON at the high end, but it includes hundreds of global models that are faster or more powerful than permitted by this language. But most such bikes lack a formal title or the standard equipment required to be registered as motorcycles, which means these electric bikes would not be legally considered “electric-assisted bicycles” and would not qualify to be “licensed, registered, and insured.”
Almost any electric bike can be ridden safely within bike lanes without exceeding allowable speeds, regardless of the size of its motor or its theoretical top speed. A law could be proposed, when or if necessary, to impose a specific speed limit for electric bikes.
Requiring an electric bike to be incapable of exceeding certain speeds, or capping the wattage of its electric motor, would be akin to imposing horsepower limits or requiring speed regulators on cars, rather than simply having a posted speed limit.
Nevertheless, the effect of this law would be to make it illegal for riders of certain electric bikes to use them within bike lanes or other bike-specific infrastructure based solely on the bike’s capabilities, not the rider’s actions.
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Does it directly or indirectly create or increase any taxes, fees, or other assessments? Conversely, does it eliminate or reduce any taxes, fees, or other assessments?
Attempting to comply with the law’s requirement that certain electric bikes be “licensed, registered, and insured” is — when not impossible — often impractical and costly, requiring aftermarket equipment modifications and potentially affidavits or custom titling.
Even under a more straightforward licensing and registration system, these mandates would still impose costs that, in many cases, would negate the financial savings inherent in choosing to ride an electric bike.
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