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While summer vacation is coming to an end for some, it’s only beginning for legislators across the country. But that doesn’t mean that the Specialty Equipment Market Association is taking any kind of break from protecting your off-road hobby. Regardless of legislatures adjourning for the year, SEMA continues their push for fair laws and protection for enthusiasts of all kinds. Check out the latest off-road legislative updates below, compliments of the SEMA Law & Order update.

The summer is not only heating up on the thermometer, it’s also heating up with legislative action. Lucky for us, SEMA is on top of it and ready to push for more equitable laws wherever needed.

In Arkansas, SEMA was pushing for legislation that would have decreased the percentage needed to approve construction of any racing facility from 75 percent of registered voters and property owners down to just 38 percent.

Unfortunately, Arkansas legislators adjourned before the bill was approved or denied. Next year may bring another round of debate on this topic, however.

Other off-road related bills that died due to legislative adjournment include a bill in Colorado aiming to extend the new-vehicle emissions exemptions from four model years to seven, and a bill in Florida, aiming to reduce annual registration fees by $2.40 per year until a $12 per year decrease was achieved. Both bills had been approved by the Senate in their respective states before dying prior to complete legislative approval.

In Florida, a bill aiming to require tire manufacturers to provide a written disclosure of the age of the tires they sold also died when its legislature adjourned for the year. Had it been approved, the bill would have also required the manufacturers to include statements on tire aging in relation to potential crashes in their sales literature.

Missouri also saw bills die when legislature adjourned for the year, including a SEMA-supported bill which would have allowed the state to issue single license plates to registered vehicle owners, as well as a SEMA-opposed bill which would have put an added $200 tax per year on registered vehicles for miles traveled.

Moving on to federal issues, off-road enthusiasts can celebrate thanks to the House of Natural Resources Committee, which just approved legislative action aiming to create the Johnson Valley National Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Area to preserve off-highway vehicle access in Johnson Valley, California. As you may well know, Johnson Valley is home to many major off-highway events, including the King of the Hammers competition.

For the last five years, there has been a debate about expanding the U.S. Marine Corps base at Twentynine Palms, that would have closed the Johnson Valley area to off-road recreational vehicle owners. Under the new bill, sponsored by Representative Paul Cook, all off-highway vehicle recreational activities would be protected and the area would continue to be managed under the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. As a compromise, the U.S. Marine base would have private access to the area for up to 60 days for training purposes a year.

From hear, the bill moves on for approval by the House of Armed Services Committee.

On the East Coast, a similar off-road vehicle recreation preservation plan has been put up for consideration for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. In 2012, OHV access was banned from a large area of the National Seashore, leaving just 42 percent of the seashore open for OHV use year round and 19 percent open for only portions of the year.

Under the new bill, a better balance between responsible off-highway recreation and wildlife protection is being pushed, opening up more of the Cape Hatteras seashore for OHV use. The bill has already been approved by the U.S. House of Natural Resources Committee, the same entity that approved the Johnson Valley bill, and now moves on for consideration by the House Judiciary Committee.

The heat is on as summer comes to an end for some and begins for others. But rest assured, because no matter how hot it gets, SEMA is there to support all of us in our off-road hobbies.

For round-the-clock access to legislative updates, be sure to sign up for your free SEMA Action Network membership.