H.B. 72 - Electric Foot Scooters Summary

• Requires registration of electric foot scooters with a permanent registration fee of $30, payable to the director of finance and deposited into the bikeway fund.

• Establishes statewide operating requirements including a 15 mph speed limit, mandatory safety helmets for operators under 16 years old, and prohibition on carrying passengers or packages that prevent two-handed control.

• Grants electric foot scooter operators the same rights and duties as vehicle drivers under traffic laws, except where inapplicable, and authorizes counties to regulate operations on roadways, bikeways, sidewalks, storage locations, and insurance requirements.

• Defines "electric foot scooter" as a device weighing less than 75 pounds with two or three wheels, handlebars, a floorboard or seat with footrests, powered by electric motor or human power, with maximum speed not exceeding 15 mph.

• Extends personal injury protection insurance benefits to electric foot scooter operators and users injured in motor vehicle accidents, and classifies electric foot scooter operators as "vulnerable users" under criminal law.