Regulates the sale and marketing of E-motos and electric off-highway motorcycles

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Kristen Gonzalez says this is needed

On May 28, 2026, an electric scooter on the Queensboro Bridge that was not street legal and had a top speed of over 50 miles per hour crashed into a cyclist, killing both riders. The crash has highlighted the need for increased legislation to address the influx of illegal high speed motorized vehicles, also known as "e-motos." These high-speed machines are able to reach speeds of 25 miles per hour or more, which is illegal under state law. Under state and New York City law, electronic scooters and bikes may travel at a maximum of 15 miles per hour. While banned from city streets, these devices are still being sold through distributors and resellers, particularly online retailers. These devices are often deceptively and incorrectly marketed as e-bikes or e-scooters, which are legally defined in state law and have limits on maximum speeds they can travel. These practices can lead consumers to believe they are purchasing and riding safe and legal vehicles. This legislation would establish a definition of e-motos to legally distinguish these unsafe and unlawful devices from legal and safe e-bikes that are authorized under state law. It would further prohibit the sale of e-motos that are not legal to ride on streets in New York State, require retailers to provide a warning notice on devices that are not legal to ride or to sell on streets, and ban false advertising and marketing of illegal e-motos and legal vehicles. Since their legalization in 2020, e-bikes and e-scooters have been woven into the fabric of day-to-day life, from getting to work to ordering from a delivery service. It is of the utmost importance to safeguard the street legal modes of transport by cutting off the flow of illegal e-mo- tos into our state and on our streets. Through this bill, we can protect consumers from false advertising, restrict unsafe vehicles, and make our streets safer for all.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.