[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5274 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5274

To prohibit the District of Columbia from requiring a person to wear a 
protective helmet to operate, or ride on, a motorcycle or motor-driven 
                                 cycle.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 6, 2026

  Mr. Sheehy introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit the District of Columbia from requiring a person to wear a 
protective helmet to operate, or ride on, a motorcycle or motor-driven 
                                 cycle.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ride in Freedom Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON REQUIRING HELMET REQUIREMENT TO OPERATE 
              MOTORCYCLE IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

    (a) In General.--The Council of the District of Columbia may not 
enact, and the Mayor of the District of Columbia may not enforce, any 
act, resolution, or other requirement that prohibits a person from 
operating, or riding on, a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle unless 
wearing a protective helmet.
    (b) Repeal of Existing Requirement.--Section 2215.3 title 18 of the 
District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, as added by section 7(o)(2) 
of the Motorized Bicycle Amendment Act of 2012 (D.C. Law 19-290), is 
repealed.
    (c) Conforming Amendment to Home Rule Act.--Section 602(a) of the 
District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1-206.02(a), D.C. Official 
Code) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (9), by striking ``office; or'' and 
        inserting ``office;'';
            (2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) enact any act, resolution, regulation or other 
        requirement that prohibits a person from operating, or riding 
        on, a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle unless wearing a 
        protective helmet (as those terms are defined in the Ride in 
        Freedom Act).''.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Helmet.--The term ``helmet'' means a helmet that meets 
        the standards set forth in section 741 of title 18 of the 
        District of Columbia Municipal Regulations.
            (2) Motorcycle; motor-driven cycle.--The terms 
        ``motorcycle'' and ``motor-driven cycle'' have the meanings 
        given those terms in section 9901 of title 18 of the District 
        of Columbia Municipal Regulations.
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