A recent House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing examined several vehicle policy issues with implications for the motorcycle and powersports industry, including federal right-to-repair legislation and a proposal aimed at curbing catalytic converter theft.
This is a press release from the MIC…
In advance of the hearing, the Motorcycle Industry Council engaged subcommittee leadership on legislation that could directly affect motorcycles and off-highway vehicles.
Right to Repair
Right-to-repair legislation was a central focus of the hearing. Ahead of the discussion, the Motorcycle Industry Council submitted an opposition letter urging lawmakers to amend H.R. 1566, the REPAIR Act, to explicitly exclude motorcycles and off-highway vehicles from the bill’s scope.
MIC cited concerns with applying motor-vehicle right-to-repair mandates to motorcycles and OHVs, including safety and litigation risks associated with non-factory-trained repairs, potential economic harm to small, franchised dealerships, and the need to protect manufacturers’ investments in product design, training, and service infrastructure. Absent an explicit exclusion for motorcycles and off-highway vehicles, MIC stated its opposition to the bill.
Catalytic Converter Theft
Lawmakers also discussed H.R. 621, the Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act (PART Act), which would require VIN marking and expanded recordkeeping for catalytic converters. Because motorcycles and off-highway vehicles are subject to federal VIN requirements, the bill would apply beyond passenger vehicles and could introduce new compliance and administrative obligations for manufacturers, dealerships, and repair facilities. MIC will push to secure an amendment that excludes motorcycles and OHVs from provisions in the bill.
Motorcycle Definition Proposal
MIC also submitted an opposition letter on H.R. 3385, a proposal that would revise the federal motorcycle definition in a way that excludes certain three-wheeled vehicles currently regulated as motorcycles. The bill was listed on the subcommittee agenda but was not discussed during the hearing.
Learn more at mic.org
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