The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has learned that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted last Friday, April 17, 2009, on the issue of banning sales of youth ATVs and motorcycles because of lead levels.  The CPSC voted to keep the ban in place; however, they did issue a two-year stay of enforcement of the ban.  This stay of enforcement will allow manufacturers and retailers of youth ATVs and motorcycles to continue building and selling these items.  It also gives the industry two years to comply with the new law and if, for some reason, it is technologically infeasible to manufacture a certain part with less lead than allowed by law, the industry will have a chance to make an argument to the CSPC.

The two-member CPSC board decided unanimously.  Both the acting Chairperson Nancy Nord and Commissioner Thomas Moore voted to deny the
petition from industry to completely overturn the ban; however, both cited safety as the reason for their votes to issue the two-year stay.  Nord and Moore both claim, “A bigger safety concern than lead exposure is that the elimination of youth ATV sales will likely increase the number of adult ATVs purchased to be used by younger children, therefore increasing risk of injury and death.”  Industry has 45 days to apply for the stay.

You can read the decision letter of the CPSC here:
http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/ballot/ballot09/atvexclusion.pdf

Legislation does currently exist that would force the CPSC to exempt all youth ATVs and motorcycles.  Denny Rehberg (R-MT) has introduced HR 1587,
and the bill has 35 co-sponsors to date. The MRF encourages you to ask your Member of the US House to co-sponsor this important legislation.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

The MRF is collecting any public service announcements or other advertising media your group has put together or uses with regard to motorcycling.  The goal is to establish a clearinghouse in the MRF DC
office of the most effective motorcycling messages used today.  Please send all forms of media electronically to the MRF office at mrfoffice@mrf.org, including stickers, billboard images, radio, video,
virtual or otherwise.  Call the MRF DC office at 202-546-0983 if you have questions.

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Ride With The LeadersTM by joining the MRF at http://www.mrf.org/join.php or call 1-202-546-0983

(c)All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with attribution. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based, national motorcyclists’ rights organization headquartered in Washington, DC. The first motorcyclists’ rights organization to establish a full-time presence in Washington, DC, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation is the only Washington voice devoted exclusively to the street rider. The MRF established MRFPAC in the early 1990s to advocate the election of candidates who would champion the cause of rider safety and rider freedom.

The MRF proudly claims state motorcyclists’ rights organizations and the very founders of the American riders’ rights movement among its leading members. The MRF is involved in federal and state legislation and
regulations, motorcycling safety education, training, and public awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists’ rights organizations with direction and information, and sponsors annual regional and national educational seminars for motorcyclists rights activists, as well as publishing a bi-monthly newsletter, THE MRF REPORTS.