Owners of electric bikes, scooters, and other micromobility devices in Illinois could soon face new regulations under a bill moving forward in the Statehouse, according to a May 29 announcement. Senate Bill 3336 would set age requirements, speed limits, and rules for where these vehicles can be operated. The House approved the measure by a vote of 80-30 on Wednesday; it now awaits a concurrence vote in the Senate after passing there unanimously in April.
House sponsor Representative Barbara Hernandez said during debate that roadways have changed significantly over the past five years due to new technology. “There’s a lot of new technology out there and as we’re seeing, there’s a lot of electronic bicycles, scooters, skateboards, unicycles and e-models in all of our communities. Also including in our bike lanes and sidewalks who are sharing the road with passenger vehicles.”
The legislation is an initiative from Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. At an April news conference, Giannoulias said Illinois needs more uniform regulations for electric personal transportation methods. “I frequently take my daughters on the bike path up in Chicago,” Giannoulias said. “And you know, five years ago, you only saw bicyclists or joggers. Now you see literal motorcycles that are on the bike path and it’s dangerous.” He also said, “We actually have folks from Northwestern hospital who are telling us that the number of incidents that they’re seeing in emergency rooms because of these e-bikes and these micromobility vehicles has been staggering.”
Under Senate Bill 3336, high-speed e-bikes—those capable of speeds greater than 28 mph—would require users to have a driver’s license, insurance, ownership title and state registration; they would also be regulated similarly to motorcycles and restricted to roads. Low-speed e-bikes already regulated by state law would be divided into three tiers based on speed capability and minimum operating age: Class 1 pedal-assist bikes (up to 20 mph) at age 15; Class 2 motor-powered bikes (no pedaling required) at age 15; pedal-assist bikes up to 28 mph at age 16.
High-speed electric scooters would be limited to speeds up to 28 mph under the proposal; riders must be at least sixteen years old. Low-speed electric scooters topping out at twenty miles per hour could also be used by those sixteen or older—a change from current law requiring operators to be eighteen.
Violators could face fines or confiscation by police as well as existing traffic penalties.
Senator Darby Hills supported the bill’s passage through the Senate last month, saying: “The reality is the technology has moved faster than our laws,” Hills said last month. “Right now, the rules for the road and for the riders are unclear, and law enforcement doesn’t always have the tools they need to address unsafe operation.” In contrast, House Republicans were divided after amendments added driving under influence penalties for operators traveling faster than twenty-eight miles per hour on their devices.
Representative Patrick Windhorst argued this amendment changes DUI laws dramatically, while House Republican Leader Tony McCombie opposed its lack of regulation regarding utility terrain vehicles, saying: “The Secretary of State’s push for e-bike regulation under the guise of safety disregards the many concerns of utility terrain vehicles owners to protect roads and users,” she said.