2020 American Motorcyclist Association Annual Report — Rights
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. The AMA Government Relations Department takes the lead in representing motorcyclists’ rights in the halls of government, from towns and cities to state legislatures and the U.S. Congress.
The AMA supports access to public lands for responsible motorized recreation and helps protect the rights of motorcyclists to ride on private property. Government Relations Department staff members assist AMA members and other motorcyclists and organizations in efforts that align with the AMA mission statement and official position statements on specific issues.
Q – How many legislative alerts and bulletins did the AMA send out in 2019?
A – The AMA issued 264 AMA Action Alerts in 2020.
Q – How many individual advocacy messages were sent to elected and regulatory officials in 2020?
A – In 2020, the AMA sent 15,859 advocacy messages to elected and regulatory officials.
Q – How many people subscribe to AMA Action Alerts?
A – 164,215 people subscribed to AMA Action Alerts in 2020.
Q – How can I keep up to date on the issues facing motorcyclists?
A – To stay abreast of rapidly changing developments and news affecting the motorcycling community, subscribe to AMA Action Alerts and the monthly AMA News & Notes.
Safe Fuels
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed to weaken or eliminate the E15 (fuel that is 15% ethanol by volume) warning label at the pump, likely leading to more confusion and misfueling by consumers. The AMA opposes the expansion of E15 in the marketplace because it increases the risk of inadvertent misfueling by motorcyclists whose machines are not EPA-certified for fuels containing more than 10 percent ethanol, thereby potentially causing engine or fuel system damage.
RPM Act
The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act, H.R. 5434 and S. 2602) was reintroduced in 2019, but the AMA—along with SEMA and other groups—has been involved with this issue for several years. The latest version of this bipartisan bill is a culmination of the collective efforts of a coalition of motorsports organizations and would ensure that converting motor vehicles, including motorcycles, into competition-only vehicles remains legal. The RPM Act states that it was the clear intent of Congress when passing and amending the Clean Air Act that motor vehicles, including motorcycles, used solely for competition would be exempt from the Clean Air Act’s prohibitions against modifying emission control devices.
Safe to Race Task Force
The AMA government relations team participated in the Safe-To-Race Task Force in 2020, providing valuable tools for racing and recreational event organizers to communicate with their elected officials while also engaging with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure international competitors could compete in AMA-sanctioned competition held in the U.S.