WASHINGTON D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has once again included language in the House Financial Services Appropriations Bill that protects kids and saves jobs.  Rehberg’s provision prevents the enforcement of an overreaching prohibition of lead in ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and snowmobiles. Rehberg has also introduced legislation – the Kids Just Want to Ride Act – to permanently exempt ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and snowmobiles from the onerous regulations.

“It’s obvious the Consumer Product Safety Commission has ignored the intent the law,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “While the original legislation was intended to keep kids safe from lead content in toys, the overreaching enforcement wound up putting them at risk by forcing them to use larger more dangerous machines that are intended only for adults. While I’m working on a permanent fix to get rid of this dangerous regulation, my appropriations language will buy more time.”

Rehberg has taken a two-pronged approach to exempt youth off-road vehicles from overregulation. Legislatively, he introduced the Kids Just Want to Ride Act to permanently exempt ATVs, off-highway motorcycles and snowmobiles from enforcement under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

He has also asked the CPSC to act on its own to exempt off-road vehicles from enforcement. In April, the CPSC rejected a permanent exclusion for all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles from the lead content limits and instead imposed a two-year stay of enforcement – which can be arbitrarily lifted at any time. That flexibility creates a need for a legislative backup, which Rehberg provided with his amendment.

“Representative Rehberg has been fighting for the interests of responsible off-highway motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle riders since he first set foot in Congress,” said Rob Dingman, president and CEO of the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), which is dedicated to defending the rights of motorcyclists and ATV riders nationwide.

“This language is just the latest example, and it’s an important step in efforts to lift the ban on the sale of kid-sized dirtbikes and all-terrain vehicles imposed by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008,” Dingman said.

"To enhance the safety of America's youth when participating in a treasured American pastime, they must have appropriately sized off-highway vehicles to ride,” he said. “Also in jeopardy is the livelihood of the thousands of small businesses and their employees that sell and service youth model off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles throughout the country. That’s why the AMA strongly urges the adoption of this bill."