IRVINE, Calif., May 11, 2011 — The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) today announced its support for, and urged quick passage of, the “Enhancing CPSC Authority and Discretion Act of 2011” (ECADA). The discussion draft of the bill, released yesterday by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), would end the ban on youth-sized all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and snowmobiles caused by the unintended consequences of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

In a May 11, 2011 letter to Rep. Bono Mack, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, Paul Vitrano, MIC general counsel, wrote, “While we continue to believe that the best way to ensure the continued availability of youth off-highway vehicles is to categorically exclude them from the lead content provisions, this proposed legislation, if enacted as drafted, would provide welcome relief and improve safety.”

The MIC letter stated that, since its enactment in 2008, CPSIA has effectively banned the sale of age-appropriate youth off-highway vehicles. As a result, the act has actually created unsafe situations for young riders by reducing the availability of appropriate-sized, speed-restricted youth models.

“The bill contains a provision, Section 3(a), that codifies the lead content limits set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission when it granted a stay of enforcement that, although designed to provide some temporary relief to our industry, proved to be ineffective,” wrote Vitrano. “The bill also mandates a total lead content limit of .03 percent or less for non-metal parts of outdoor recreational products and all other children’s products not primarily intended for age 6 and younger.”

The letter also noted the draft bill contains language (Section 4(a)) that would “eliminate unnecessary, duplicative and costly testing requirements under CPSIA for these vehicles.”

“ATVs and motorcycles do not present any lead-related health risk to young riders, and Congress has made it clear that it never intended the lead content restrictions and testing requirements for toys to apply to these vehicles,” Vitrano noted in the letter.

The MIC also endorsed the bill’s common sense changes to the Public Database to create a more useful database with accurate and relevant information for consumers.

“For more than two years, our industry has worked in a bipartisan manner seeking relief from the unintended consequences of the CPSIA that have needlessly placed youth riders in danger, harmed thousands of dealers, and cost jobs in our industry,” concluded Vitrano. “We are grateful this bill will provide our customers and members with a permanent fix to this problem…and strongly urge bipartisan support and quick passage of this important and long-overdue legislation.”

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. As a not-for-profit, national industry association, the MIC seeks to support motorcyclists by representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

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