TRENTON, NJ (BRAIN)—A bill that seeks to regulate the sale of bikes equipped with quick releases in the state of New Jersey has been stalled once more.
The bill (A2680), which was introduced last May, would make it unlawful to sell any bicycle with a quick-release wheel if it has a front wheel diameter of 20 inches or less and is not a specialty adult bicycle.
“It was on the agenda for the consumer affairs committee, but its sponsor took it down,” said Josh Hodes, a lobbyist hired by the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association to keep track of the bill. “He wanted to do more research before pursuing it.”
Hodes said the bill may turn up on the committee’s agenda again, but most likely not until spring, once the legislature is back in session in May after its budget break.
The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, is a much-revised version of a previous bill that banned quick releases on adult bikes and passed by a landslide vote in the house back in 2007. That’s when the BPSA led an industry effort to defeat the bill. Hodes was brought on as well to work at the state level with legislators.
Hodes said the newer version was a result of the industry working with Moriarty and his staff to arrive at language that had both sides involved. “The language in the bill is more amenable to the bike industry,” Hodes said.
The bill was originally drafted with the intent to “stem the rash of senseless injuries to children.”
—Lynette Carpiet
