MRF Rep Report

The last two weeks of 2022 saw multiple victories for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) and all motorcyclists in this country! With the clock ticking down before the 117th Congress adjourned, three major parts of the MRF legislative agenda were addressed by leaders in Washington, D.C.

December 16th – Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan and 26 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding three recent fatal crashes between self-driving vehicles and motorcycles. The letter seeks answers about how self-driving cars interact with motorcycles and whether recent crashes are statistical outliers.

December 22nd – Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada inserted committee report language into the year-end omnibus government funding bill released by the U.S. Senate and passed both chambers of Congress. The report language states “The Committee is concerned that National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) may be conducting activities that encourage states to adopt legislation, regulation, or other policies that unjustly profile motorcycle riders. The Committee directs NHTSA to report to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on the extent to which the agency works with states on motorcycle passenger policies within 120 days of enactment of this Act.”

December 23rd – Six years after it was first introduced the U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Res 366, the motorcyclist profiling resolution. The resolution “Promotes increased public awareness on the issue of motorcyclist profiling; encourages collaboration and communication with the motorcyclist community and law enforcement to engage in efforts to end motorcyclist profiling; and urges State law enforcement officials to include statements condemning motorcyclist profiling in written policies and training materials.”

These three victories in the span of just a few days reflects the hard work of MRF members and our allies over the course of 2022! The work done at events like Bikers Inside the Beltway and by state motorcyclist rights organizations throughout the year paved the way for these successes.

As we look towards 2023, more challenges remain. For example, the Motorcyclists Advisory Committee (MAC) has yet to be established despite legislation passed in 2021 that directs the Department of Transportation to seat the MAC. Follow up on issues like profiling and self-driving cars will be necessary, as will action on other items in the robust 2023 MRF legislative agenda.

While we are excited by the end to a successful year in our nation’s capital, we know that staying engaged is the only way to protect the freedoms we cherish. Thank you for your continued support of the MRF! Without your time, energy, and passion, the voice of the street rider would disappear from the halls of power in D.C.

With that being said, we are gearing up for another Bikers in the Beltway, our national motorcyclists’ lobby day. We will descend on Washington DC May 15^th & 16^th . If you are interested in more details on this experience, reach out to me at any time via email or text.

Attention all Assistant State Reps and anyone interesting in doing more to support the MRF: We will be doing a short MRF Rep training session at Officer’s Training on Friday evening at 5:30 pm. I am also asking all Asst Reps to help man the MRF table throughout the weekend.

There are so many things going on behind the scenes right now. For example, we just completed our tri-annual board meeting, reviewed our legislative agenda for 2023, and updated our Strategic Plan for 2023. I can’t wait to share more about these things at Officer’s Training!

Stay vigilant, my friends!

Jen Abraham

ABATE of WI

Board of Directors

MRF State Rep