Overview
- AB 1942, introduced by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, would require DMV registration, license plates, and proof of ownership for Class 2 and 3 e-bikes, with fines for noncompliance.
- The measure would create an Electric Bicycle Registration Fund and appropriate initial money from the state General Fund to administer and enforce the program.
- Bauer-Kahan frames the bill as a public-safety response to rising e-bike injuries and challenges holding reckless riders accountable.
- Advocacy groups including Bike East Bay, Biking in L.A., and CalBike oppose the plan, urging enforcement of existing rules and a focus on illegal 'e-motos' instead.
- Coverage highlights inaccuracies in the bill’s rollout, noting Class 3 e-bikes legally lack throttles and cannot approach 60–70 mph; the bill is newly introduced and remains in committee.