New legislation aiming to give motorcycle drivers the option of being on the road without a helmet passed has passed a House Finance subcommittee.
Tennessee is one of 19 states with a helmet law. The proposed legislation would allow anyone 21 or older to ride without a helmet.
There have been efforts to get similar bills passed for 42 years. The helmet bill passed a House Finance subcommittee Wednesday.
The bill won’t hit the House floor until it passes the full Finance Committee before hitting the House floor.
The bill has some limitations. You have to be 21 years old, and be covered by private health or medical insurance, which does not include Tenncare.
Supporters of the bill cited a Pennsylvania study showing motorcycle registrations go up after a helmet law is repealed.
The result was more money for state and local governments. On the flip side, riders who sustained traumatic brain injuries could end up being eligible for Tenncare.
That would be a cost to the state. The Tennessee Highway Patrol opposed the bill.
“It's a safety issue for us. We know from studying other states that have done this that it's going to raise our fatality rate. More people are going to die in Tennessee on our highways. It's not a question of if they're going to die. It's a question of how many,” said Colonel Tracy Trott with the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
“We feel that it is time that Tennessee join the other 31 states in our nation and allows that choice for adults that as bill is presented as long as they're not on Medicaid or Tenncare they can make that choice,” said John Ahlers.
There are more than 167,000 motorcycles registered in Tennessee. The same bill was in the Senate Finance Committee.
Supporters said in 42 years of trying to get this passed the issue has never made it to a vote on the floor in the House or Senate.
