Overview
- Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the initiative on Thursday, citing a roughly 300% national rise in micromobility injuries and fatalities from 2019 to 2022.
- Officials aim to address gaps in Illinois law by defining higher‑powered devices capable of exceeding about 50 mph, which currently face no statewide regulation or age limits.
- Any legislation would retain the state’s three‑class e‑bike framework while setting clear statewide baseline standards and allowing municipalities to add local safeguards.
- The program includes education for high school students, broader K–12 and driver’s ed instruction, public awareness efforts, and community‑based enforcement.
- No bill text or introduction date has been released, and stakeholders note mixed approaches elsewhere, with New Jersey recently adopting strict licensing and registration rules for e‑bikes.