The Virginia House of Delegates voted across party lines Monday to make it easier for localities to impound all-terrain vehicles that are driven illegally on city streets.
The bill comes after complaints from both cities and counties. Hampton-area Democratic Delegate Jeion Ward described it as a constant nuisance.
“They had all seen a rise in unregistered ATVs, dirt bikes and motorcycles on their streets, disrupting traffic, endangering the public,” she told a subcommittee when the bill was first heard.
The bill requires localities to approve an ordinance first, but once put in place it would allow police to seize such vehicles if they’re “unlawfully operated.”
Police departments were part of the request for new authority, according to Ward.
“They’ve tried to write tickets; they’ve done everything they can do, and it didn’t work,” she said.
A similar version of the effort has already worked its way through the Senate despite concerns from some rural lawmakers, including Richlands-area Republican Senator Travis Hackworth who worried about unregistered ATVs used on farms.
“Doing this could give the authority for a governing body to go against the will of some rural counties,” Hackworth said.
The Senate version made it out of that chamber with bipartisan support after Roanoke-area Republican Senator David Suetterlein voted in favor of the bill. It’ll likely head to Governor Glenn Youngkin later this session.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
