Ryan’s Bill moves on to House after Senate OK Bill to change motorcycle laws championed by students at Southeastern

OFF THE WIRE
The state Senate has unanimously approved “Ryan’s Bill,” the motorcycle safety measure named for the late Ryan Orcutt of Brockton and championed by his fellow students at Southeastern Regional Technical Vocational High School.
The measure will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.
“Ryan’s Bill” would require teens between the ages of 16 to 18 to take a mandatory safety course in motorcycle riding before obtaining a junior operator’s license. They now must pass only a written exam and a vision test.
Orcutt, a plumbing student at Southeastern, was killed a year ago while riding his brother’s motorcycle in Brockton.
Southeastern students went to the Statehouse in October to testify in favor of Ryan’s Bill, bringing 500 letters from classmates supporting the legislation.
The bill is also supported by the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association, which says that statistics from the state Registry of Motor Vehicles show that 79 percent of those involved in motorcycle accidents have never had rider training.
Thirty-five percent of fatalities involve people under age 29 and the majority have no rider education, the association said.
http://www.patriotledger.com/news/x905412420/Ryan-s-Bill-moves-on-to-House-after-Senate-OK