On the Lege: June 2019

Great news! Governor Abbot signed HB 2188 into law on Friday, June 7. The law goes into effect on September 1.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your calls and emails to your elected officials. You made a difference this legislative session!

HB 2188 was authored by Rep John Frullo, co-authored by Rep Lyle Larson, and sponsored in the Senate by Larry Taylor and Carol Alvarado. Do any of them represent you? Now’s a good time to send them a thank-you/congratulations email.

Benefits of this new law include:

• Some Texas cities have classified ebikes as “motorized devices,” a classification they’ve also applied to escooters. HB 2188 clarifies that ebikes should be classified as bicycles statewide.
• HB 2188 would bring Texas’ ebike laws into line with current standards (Class 1, 2, and 3 ebikes) that are in place in 15 states and many countries. Class 1 and 3 ebikes have motor assist while pedaling. Class 2 has a throttle that works without pedaling.
• The bill contains age restriction, of 15 years and up, for 28 MPH ebikes (Class 3). An ebike may have a motor below 750 watts and still be considered to be a bicycle. However, once a motor reaches the 750-watt threshold, the vehicle (while not prohibited) is no longer classified as a bicycle. Other statutes address motorcycles and mopeds.
• There are no special speed limits on roads for ebikes. Cities may designate speed limits on trails used by bikes and ebikes.

This bill passed both the House and the Senate nearly unanimously. Thank you again for speaking up for biking and walking in Texas this legislative session.

Are you a member of BikeTexas? Join today and be one of thousands of Texans fighting for bicycle and pedestrian access, safety, and education across the state.