Off-Highway Recreational Bill Heads To Senate Floor For Crucial Vote

House Bill 2443, the Off-Highway Recreational Bill, will head to the Arizona Senate floor shortly for a critical vote to improve off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation and management in Arizona.

At this stage in the legislative process, it is vital to contact your senators and ask them to continue to support HB 2443. To locate and contact individual senators, visit azleg.gov/memberroster. To read the full text of HB 2443, visit the Arizona State Legislature Web site at azleg.gov/bills. Also, visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web site, azgfd.gov, for more information on the bill.

The bill is supported not only by the Arizona Game and Fish commission but also by a broad and diverse coalition comprised of sportsmen clubs and organizations, OHV recreationists, outdoor-user groups, law-enforcement agencies and county and local governments.

House Bill 2443:

• Would bolster resources for OHV management, including trails and facilities, access, law enforcement, education, safety and mitigation for damage.
• Would create a small, annual flat fee for a license plate for off-highway vehicle use.
• Would enact new laws that will better protect Arizona’s natural resources from inappropriate use of OHVs.
• Would expand safety standards.
• Would improve equipment standards, such as muffler and sound requirements.

Would dramatically reduce the current Vehicle License Tax to just $3. This tax allows properly equipped all-terrain cycles (dirt bikes), all-terrain vehicles (quads), and utility vehicles on streets and highways.