HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3676        FILED ON: 1/15/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3282

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relating to reducing air pollution through the licensing and use of medium speed electric vehicles..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006

Official Edition, is hereby amending by striking out the definition of “Motorcycle” and inserting in place thereof the following definition: --

“Motorcycle”, any motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than 3 wheels in contact with the ground, including any bicycle with a motor or driving wheel attached, except a tractor or a motor vehicle designed for the carrying of golf clubs and not more than 4 persons, an industrial 3-wheel truck, a motor vehicle on which the operator and passenger ride within an enclosed cab, or a motorized bicycle. Motorcycle includes a medium speed electric vehicle.

SECTION 2. Said section 1 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amending by inserting after the definition of “Manufacturer” the following definition: --

“Medium speed electric vehicle”, a self-propelled, electrically powered motor vehicle with 3 wheels or more, equipped with a roll cage or crush-proof body design, whose speed attainable in 1 mile is more than 30 miles per hour but not more than 40 miles per hour.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 90 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 1E the following section: --

Section 1F. No person shall operate a medium speed electric vehicle upon any street or highway having a speed limit greater than 40 miles per hour. This section does not prohibit a person operating a medium speed electric vehicle from proceeding across an intersection or a street or highway having a speed limit greater than 40 miles per hour. Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

SECTION 4. Section 7 of said chapter 90 is hereby amended by inserting after the word “older” in line 149 the following:-

, provided that, for purposes of this section, a motorcycle shall not include a medium-speed vehicle.