2021 BWMT Legislative Initiatives & Information
STAY UP TO DATE ON OUR LEGISLATIVE PAGE!
You can stay up to date on what’s going on at our legislative page. Check out the bill tracker, which will be updated weekly and give you information and links to the bills we are focused on and our position.
THREE WAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS:
Here are three ways you can submit your testimony:
TESTIFY IN PERSON – Keep in mind that you must socially distance and wear a mask. Make sure to sign in outside of the meeting room. They are keeping folks out in the hall until their turn comes. They will take proponents, opponents and informational witnesses in that order.
PROVIDE TESTIMONY ELECTRONICALLY OR PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM – Visit the Legislature’s Public Testimony Web Page -- Here, you can upload documents (remember to be concise, as legislators are limited in their time or interest). This needs to be done 24 hours in advance to allow the legislative staff to duplicate and distribute. This is also where you sign up – at least 24 hours in advance – to testify via Zoom during the hearing. If you choose to Zoom testify, this will allow the staff to provide you the link to do so.
PROVIDE COMMENTS VIA EMAIL – Visit the Legislature’s Electronic Messages Page – Here you can email an individual legislator or the entire committee.
TIPS ON PROVIDING TESTIMONY
The most effective citizen voice heard in the capital halls is YOURS! Legislators often react to one call, one email, or one person’s testimony. It’s powerful!
All testimony should be brief and to the point, regardless of how you provide it. When in person or on Zoom, dress professionally and start by addressing the Chairman and stating your full name. Indicate if you are representing a group or just yourself. Try not to echo previous speakers, and personalize your testimony – if you have a relevant experience or example of your point, again make it short and to your point.
If your representative, or one from your community, is on a committee, your input is even more important.
Always send a copy of any emails to your representative as well, whether they’re on the committee or not. They will discuss bills in the halls or caucus. Here’s where quantity comes into play.
bike walk legislative Report| Volume 67 | Issue #8
The 67th Montana State Legislature is getting close to adjournment and their efforts and our attention has been on how they are directing budgets and their effect on active transportation infrastructure. This includes the regular state budget, COVID relief funding and anticipated marijuana revenue. We won’t know exactly how it will come down until the final gavel but we do want to thank and recognize those of you who have contacted your legislators or helped led the charge to direct funds towards trails, parks, and person friendly transportation improvements.
There is one bill of interest, outside of funding, that we are asking you to weigh in with your legislator, right now!
Representative Tom France, Missoula, along with four other representatives has introduced and has passed by committee, HJR42, requesting an “interim study of bicycle trail routes in Montana”. You can see the bill here. You can view the committee hearing here. It’s quite informative of the differing opinions on active transportation.
Action Needed! Contact your hometown Representatives and ask them to vote yes on HJ42. You can find them and their emails and phone numbers on our website here. We need strong support first in the house, and then in the Senate as well.
Take Action!!!
We thank Representatives France, Gist, Hamilton, Harvey and Keogh for introducing the resolution. Interim studies are important in keeping focused on an issue, using legislative staff to do research and organize the meetings, and they produce reports and recommendations that are considered non-partisan and relied on heavily to craft new legislation. We were included in a shared use path funding study last interim and although it didn’t produce any direct legislation, it kept bicycling and path infrastructure front and center, in this case, of the interim Transportation Committee. These committees are typically made up of members of both parties and houses. And that’s why we’ll help keep pushing this all the way through. Cause that will be needed!
Check our 2021 Legislative Initiatives webpage for how to submit comments and testify.
While you are on the page, you can check our bill tracker to see the current status of bills we’ve been watching which include school bus safety, parks & trails, funding, in addition to bicycle bills.
bike walk legislative Report| Volume 67 | Issue #7
The 67th Legislature continues on with budget deliberations which will have direct implications for the future of transportation in Montana. New bills without budget implications are not allowed after the March 3rd transmittal and new budget bills must be transmitted by April 1. So we should not see any new issues coming up. However, budget discussions will also include how Montana will spend but rather what the budget will be including the over $3 billion in COVID relief. Federal budgets will continue to have a major impact and we are seeing very promising developments under the new Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
The two bills we were most involved with, HB184 – the bike safety bill and HB281 – the ebike bill – have both been tabled. We hope to work with both other stakeholders and legislators who see the value of active transportation during the interim to move forward together on what is needed for both of these. Thanks to all of you, regardless of your position, who submitted testimony, contacted your legislators, and who were part of the discussion. You did make a difference in getting legislators to listen and consider diverse opinions, together we can build a better transportation future.
One great resource that we found was a Literature Review of Recreational Conflicts Focused on Emerging Ebike Technology by Boulder County, Colorado which you can find on our website here. The review included a study by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities which you can find here . We know ebikes will be an increasing part of our transportation future, so no matter where you stand, or sit, on them, you should take the time to see what studies are available to help you form your opinion!
HB306, which reduces the role the Public Service Commission has in permitting small shuttle services, has passed both Houses by large margins and is on its way to the Governor’s desk, hopefully to be signed. Thanks to the bill’s sponsor Representative Moffie Funk and Vigilante Shuttle owner Kurt Valiton, whose strong testimony cleared the way in both House and Senate committees.
You can use the links to each bill on our online legislative tracker here to see a bill’s status. We will do our best to keep the tracker current in these fast changing times and will alert you if any major opportunities for your action seems to be needed. Your communications as citizen advocates with legislators have and will make a difference.
Some of this will be supporting broadband connections for our rural communities, these linear installations could also provide great ROWs for trails as well! Again, if that could even just be allowed, our communities could make that decision when directing the funding.
We are in challenging political times but that is nothing new to the active transportation community. Rather than be discouraged, look back 20 or even 10 years and see the progress individuals, organizations and communities have made in providing for bicycling and walking. And then, look ahead 10 years, see what your home town and Montana could be, and then, and most importantly, help make that happen!!
bike walk legislative Alert | Volume 67 | Issue #6
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT
The 67th Montana State Legislature is back in session and working on both bills transmitted from the other house as well as budget related bills. We are interested in how the Montana Department of Transportation budget may better support active transportation and so will watch that process and have several bills that passed the house that either have been heard in the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, will be or are on their way to the Senate floor.
HB184 – the bicycle safety bill, passed the House, has been heard in the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, an is awaiting executive action.
HB281 – revising laws related to ebikes, has been heard and passed by the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee and will go for 2nd reading on the Senate floor soon.
HB306 – revising recreational shuttle laws, passed the House by a 99-1 vote and will be heard by Senate Highways and Transportation Committee next Tuesday, March 16th at 3:00.
Take Action!
We hope each of you will take the time to make your views known to the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee or your hometown Senator. You can find them and their emails and phone numbers on our website here. You still can provide and/or sign up testimony through the testimony portal here but make sure you sign up by noon the day before a hearing.
Click on the bill number below to go to the bill information:
HB184 We worked on this bill with its sponsor from the very beginning of the session and had hopes that it would finally give us better safe passing definition even while not agreeing, and testifying to that, with its further requirements for equipment and clothing. Senator Theresa Manzella has now proposed amending it even further and you can see her proposed amendments here.
Particularly with this threat of amendment, we are now opposed to HB184 and urging you to contact the Senate Highways and Transportation members and asking them to kill it.
HB281 – Bike Walk supports the bill as passed in the House and by the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee which passed it 7-6 on March 11. The bill provides state law foundation for ebike management on state, city and county lands. It brings the definition in state law up to national standards. Federal land trails are excluded from this proposed bill and management will not be affected.
The benefit of more riders using shared use trails and bicycle paths helps the overall goal of good walking and bicycling infrastructure. We do not want to see transportation alternatives restricted and this bill ensures ebikes have the same rights as traditional bikes. We do believe that expanding use of ebikes will require attention from our cities and towns and the bill provides a process for allowing local authorities and agencies to restrict ebikes on designated trails. You can see the restrictions and proposed process in Section 4 on page 20 of the bill.
We did communicate with our conservation and trails partners to let them know why we support this bill in its current form. Although we weren’t able to reach consensus with them, we will continue supporting locally based and appropriate sharing of trails for all users, whenever possible, and remain as a founding member of the Montana Trails Coalition. It’s up to each of us, whether ebiker or traditional bicyclist, to both participate locally and to be courteous and respectful to others.
HB 306 –This bill would exempt recreational shuttle services using 15 passenger or smaller vehicles from burdensome Public Service Commission regulation. HB306 will be heard in the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, Tuesday March 16 at 3:00 pm. This bill supports our local shuttle services that do so much to help educate, provide local information, and interpret our local areas, as well as give us a ride! Contact members of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee here and let them know how you feel.
Bike Walk Montana reached our positions on these and numerous other bills through robust and wide-ranging discussions, including consideration of emails from you, our members. No matter where you stand on these bills, please use this democratic opportunity to let the transportation committees or your local legislator know that bicycle safety and infrastructure are important to you, our kids and Montana. The Senate needs to hear this now! If you haven’t made comments yet, let your voice be heard and if you have made comments or testified, we need you even more now. Check our 2021 Legislative Initiatives for how to submit comments and testify.
bike walk legislative Alert | Volume 67 | Issue #5
LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT
The 67th Montana State Legislature is now in their mid-session break. They ended business Tuesday after marathon floor sessions, luckily, the significant active transportation bills had already been heard and transmitted. They return at 5 pm on Monday, March 8th.
HB184 – the bicycle safety bill, passed the House, has been heard in the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, an is awaiting executive action.
HB281 – revising laws related to ebikes, also passed the House and is assigned to Senate Highways and Transportation Committee and will be heard next Tuesday, 3/9 at 3:00pm.
HB306 – revising recreational shuttle laws, passed the House by a 99-1 vote and once again, is assigned to Senate Highways and Transportation Committee and awaiting a hearing date.
Take Action!!!
Please note that the Legislative website where you can send emails to legislators is not available until March 8, after transmittal. You still can provide and/or sign up testimony through the testimony portal here .
Click on the bill number below to go to the bill information,
HB184 This bill is a little ahead of the other bills we’re tracking, and has already been heard in the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee, you can watch the hearing here . The hearing starts at 15.21.29 on the meeting timer (3:21:29 in standard 12-hour time). You simply click on the agenda tab to the right, and then on that bill's time displayed in a small box next to the title.
There was considerable talk of amendments during the hearing (none of them being ones suggested by us or other proponents), including weakening the safe passing language, adding more requirements for bicyclists, and requiring riding on the shoulder, if it exists or is a certain width. Bike Walk will oppose any of these changes if introduced.
None of the Committee members seemed well informed on the value and needs of bicyclists, and at times seemed to harken back to the 2015 session when even banning bicycles on certain roads was raised. We will watch for unfriendly amendments but they may come in without much notice or be brought in during executive action. Once we know what action the Committee takes, we will alert members on recommended action.
HB281 – Bike Walk supports the bill as passed in the House. The bill provides state law foundation for ebike management on state, city and county lands. It brings the definition in state law up to national standards. Federal land trails are excluded from this proposed bill and management will not be affected.
The benefit of more riders using shared use trails and bicycle paths helps the overall goal of good walking and bicycling infrastructure. We do not want to see transportation alternatives restricted and this bill ensures ebikes have the same rights as traditional bikes. We do believe that expanding use of ebikes will require attention from our cities and towns and the bill provides a process for allowing local authorities and agencies to restrict ebikes on designated trails. You can see the restrictions and proposed process in Section 4 on page 20 of the bill.
We’ve been communicating with our conservation partners to let them know why we support this bill in its current form.
HB 306 –This bill would exempt recreational shuttle services using 15 passenger or smaller vehicles from burdensome Public Service Commission regulation. There was strong House Committee and nearly unanimous House Floor support and it is now awaiting a hearing date in the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee. This bill supports our local shuttle services that do so much to help educate, provide local information, and interpret our local areas, as well as give us a ride! Contact members of the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee here and let them know how you feel.
Bike Walk Montana reached our positions on these and numerous other bills through robust and wide-ranging discussions, including consideration of emails from you, our members. No matter where you stand on these bills, please use this democratic opportunity to let the transportation committees or your local legislator know that bicycle safety and infrastructure are important to you, our kids and Montana. The Senate needs to hear this now! If you haven’t made comments yet, let your voice be heard and if you have made comments or testified, we need you even more now. Check our 2021 Legislative Initiatives webpage for how to submit comments and testify.
While you are on the page, you can check our bill tracker to see the current status of the above bills as well as the many others (school bus safety, parks & trails, funding, etc.) we are tracking.
bike walk legislative Alert | Volume 67 | Issue #4
a busy week for bicycling and walking bills in the Montana Legislature
It has been a busy week for bicycling and walking bills in the Montana Legislature, which is one third over.
HB184 – the bicycle safety bill, passed both 2nd and 3rd readings and has been assigned to Senate Transportation.
HB281 – revising laws related to ebikes, was heard and passed executive action on the same day in House Transportation. Several other NGO’s testified against the bill, due to concerns about ebike usage on trails, during hunting season and the definition of bicyclists. It is awaiting second reading and a vote on the house floor.
HB306 was heard in House transportation and it was positively received and may be combined with HB365 which would do basically the same thing which is to exempt vans under 15 passengers from Public Service Commission regulation.
Take Action!!!
HB184 We are asking that you contact Senators on the Senate Transportation Committee now, you can find the link on our 2021 Legislative Initiatives webpage. We will be supporting the bill as we did in the house, as it defines a safe passing distance and requires the use of lights, both of which we feel are good gains. Both our committee and individual members couldn’t agree on supporting some of the other sections, specifically requiring wearing reflective or brightly colored clothing above the waste, and requiring riding on the right side of the lane, with some exceptions. While we didn’t get all that we wanted, we continue to feel the overall bill is a positive thing and was the result of compromise. That is how legislation works. If passed, we will institute education and other initiatives to deal with any changes in a positive way. And we will be watching to see how it works!
HB281 – We provided testimony during the hearing, which was out of the ordinary for both how a major amendment was added to the bill during the hearing and immediate executive action. We supported the original bill that simply added ebike classes and continue to support as amended. We are still working with our conservation partners to let them know why we support it. The bill provides state law foundation for ebike management on state, city and county lands. It brings the definition in law up to national standards. Federal lands trails are excluded from this law amendment language and that management will not be affected.
The benefit of more riders using shared use and bicycle paths helps the overall goal of good walking and bicycling infra-structure. You can see the restrictions and requirements proposed in Section 4 on page 20 of the bill.
HB 306 – There was an excellent hearing for this bill with strong testimony from Vigilante Shuttle’s Kurt Valiton. This bill would exempt shuttle services using 15 passenger vans or smaller from burdensome Public Service Commission regulation. There was strong committee support and anticipate the bill may be expanded prior to executive action. Let’s support our local shuttle services that do so much to help educate, provide local information, and interpret our local areas, as well as give us a ride! Contact members of the house transportation committee and let them know how you feel.
No matter where you stand on these bills, please let the committees or your local legislator know how you feel and that bicycle safety and infra-structure is important to you. Your influence is apparent in the committee deliberations and we can build momentum to continuing to improve active transportation in Montana, only with citizen involvement!!
If you have any questions, please contact me at doug@bikewalkmontana.org or 449-2787.
Bike Walk Legislative Alert | Volume 67 | Issue #3
HB 184, The Safe Bicycling Bill is going to the House Floor February 4, Let Your Representative Know How You Feel!
HB 184 was passed out of the House Transportation committee on Monday, February 1 by a 13 -2 vote. This followed negotiations and compromise on several amendments.
We didn’t get all we wanted, you never do, but we are particularly happy to finally have a defined safe passing distance (5’) and recognition that a light at night is essential safety equipment. This would not have happened without your citizen action. As Representative Fern, Kalispell said, there were “dozens and dozens of letters received” that led to a compromise.
Requirements for reflective clothing remain in the bill but only in certain locations and with improved options as well as now being expected to ride on the shoulder or in the right hand of the right lane of the roadway. Although we didn’t support these sections of the bill, we feel the overall bill is still, in the balance, a positive thing. You can read the amended version of the bill here to form your own opinion, we hope you’ll see the good, and recognize the limited impact of the sections that aren’t so good.
The bill is scheduled to be heard during the general floor session at 1:00 pm on February 4th (tomorrow as we write this). As the bill heads to the House floor, we can’t lose those gains and so we are encouraging you to contact your House Representative immediately, share any concerns you have with the bill but ask for a “do pass” vote. See our web site here (in alert # 1 under “How You Can Help”) for how to contact legislators.
If passed, the bill will then go to a Senate committee, and the process will start all over again. The Senate has traditionally not been very friendly to bicycle law changes, so the stronger the vote is in the House, the better our chances in the Senate.
If you have any questions, please contact me at doug@bikewalkmontana.org or 449-2787.
Bike Walk Legislative Alert | Volume 67 | Issue #2
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION HEARS HB 184
The Montana House Transportation Committee heard HB184 on January 25th, introduced by Representative Loge from St. Regis. While Bike Walk Montana supports portions of the bill that improve some aspects of safety, other sections pose an issue for enforceability, diminish bicyclists rights and are best left unchanged. You can watch the hearing here on the Legislature’s Watch and Listen feature.
We are asking you to contact members of the committee, who will next take executive action and amend and/or vote on the bill, probably next week. We do believe there are possibly several amendments in the works, and your emails to members of the committee would really show support for doing so.
Our position is:
Retain or strengthen Section 1, that establishes a set distance for safe passing.
Drop Section 2 and 3.
Retain Section 4 with an amendment to require the light only during dawn, dusk or nighttime and remove the requirement for a reflector as well as a light.
Or if these changes can’t be made, we oppose the bill.
You can send an email to the entire committee here.
We are asking members from Helena, Billings, and Missoula to contact Representatives Dooling, Whitman and Fleming. You can do that as well through the link above or by going to our page. Let them know how you feel!!!!
GOVERNOR'S BUDGET WOULD DIVERT TRAIL, STATE PARKS AND LAND CONSERVATION FUNDING
This from our partners at the Montana Outdoor Heritage Project
Critical budget negotiations are underway in Helena this coming week that will determine whether a promising new funding source is wisely invested in Montana's outdoor heritage.
In November Montana voters overwhelmingly passed ballot initiative 190 which directed new revenue generated by the sale of recreational marijuana to expand public access, maintain state parks, and protect working farms and ranches. This level of new funding would help us keep better pace with the growing demand for conservation and dramatically enhance our ability to keep Montana the last best place.
Unfortunately, Governor Gianforte released an operating budget asking lawmakers to divert all future revenue from recreational marijuana sales away from state parks maintenance, public trail grant programs, and the Habitat Montana program which enhances outdoor access and protects working farms and ranches.
The Montana State Legislature will soon have the final word on the distribution of that revenue. An open letter has been created asking the Legislature to respect the will of the voters and keep this new revenue where it belongs; in our land, water, and wildlife. Please add your name to this letter and share the letter with your family, friends and contacts asking them to add their names. Our public lands, trails, working lands, and wildlife fuel the Montana way of life and drive our economy. They are one of the wisest investments we can make as a state.
That initiative would have included approximately $1 million addition dollars per year for both the state trails grant program; which benefits cities, counties, reservations, state and federal land trails; and state parks maintenance.
Please take time and contact our legislature and show your support by signing the attached letter.
bike walk legislative Alert | Volume 67 | Issue #1
Bicycle Safety Bill, HB184, Scheduled to be Heard Monday January 25 at 3:00 pm
The 67th Legislature is upon us, and Bike Walk Montana is actively involved to get the very best state transportation laws passed, to defend against attacks on our access and rights as citizen travelers, and to encourage funding for active transportation infrastructure. We thank you for your support in helping us do so.
A bicycle safety bill, introduced by Representative Loge of Saint Regis, will be heard by the House Transportation Committee on Monday, January 25th at 3:00 pm.
In a nutshell, the measure would generally revise bicycle laws regarding safety and lights.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
We are urging you to contact the House Transportation Committee with testimony outlining your support, ideas and concerns (This is important – don’t fail to be positive where you can. Don’t assume someone else will testify. Your voice is valuable)!
THREE WAYS TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS:
Here are three ways you can submit your testimony:
TESTIFY IN PERSON – Keep in mind that you must socially distance and wear a mask. Make sure to sign in outside of the meeting room. They are keeping folks out in the hall until their turn comes. They will take proponents, opponents and informational witnesses in that order.
PROVIDE TESTIMONY ELECTRONICALLY OR PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM – Visit the Legislature’s Public Testimony Web Page -- Here, you can upload documents (remember to be concise, as legislators are limited in their time or interest). This needs to be done 24 hours in advance to allow the legislative staff to duplicate and distribute. This is also where you sign up – at least 24 hours in advance – to testify via Zoom during the hearing. If you choose to Zoom testify, this will allow the staff to provide you the link to do so.
PROVIDE COMMENTS VIA EMAIL – Visit the Legislature’s Electronic Messages Page – Here you can email an individual legislator or the entire committee.
TIPS ON PROVIDING TESTIMONY
The most effective citizen voice heard in the capital halls is YOURS! Legislators often react to one call, one email, or one person’s testimony. It’s powerful!
All testimony should be brief and to the point, regardless of how you provide it. When in person or on Zoom, dress professionally and start by addressing the Chairman and stating your full name. Indicate if you are representing a group or just yourself. Try not to echo previous speakers, and personalize your testimony – if you have a relevant experience or example of your point, again make it short and to your point. You are welcome to use our position as a starting point customizing it what you, as a citizen, have to say.
If your representative, or one from your community, is on a committee, your input is even more important.
Always send a copy of any emails to your representative as well, whether they’re on the committee or not. They will discuss bills in the halls or caucus. Here’s where quantity comes into play.
Links to the two transportation committees and the full House and Senate rosters:
STAY IN THE LOOP ON BWMT LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
We have an excellent legislative committee made up of board and general members which gathers via teleconference every Thursday. We will make and provide testimony on relevant bills. At this point we are tracking 40 bills, although many are placeholders with no draft available at this point. We review bills as they become available, decide if we support, oppose, would like to provide information, or simply watch what the bill proposes to do. Our committee may be split on a bill or sections of it in which case, we’ll reflect that as well in our position.
As always, contact us if you have questions, concerns or ideas.