Today the Ohio House of Representatives passed legislation that would establish the conditions necessary in order to operate certain specialized vehicles, including low-speed and under-speed vehicles, motor scooters, cab-enclosed motorcycles and mini-trucks.

Under Senate Bill 114, the operator of the vehicle generally must be using a registered vehicle and have a driver’s license. Whether or not the vehicle is allowed on the road largely depends on the specific type of vehicle and the speed limit of the street or highway. The bill takes local ordinances into consideration concerning under-speed and utility vehicles.

Also in the bill were provisions relating to window-tinting standards, penalties for the installation of nonconforming glass, temporary instruction permits of motor scooters and motorcycles, and the height of motorcycle handlebars.

The bill would allow for the handlebars of motorcycles to be any height so long as they do not rise higher than the shoulders of the operator—a provision originally included House Bill 316, which as sponsored by Representatives Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) and Al Landis (R-Dover). Current law prohibits the handlebars from being more than 15 inches higher than the operator’s seat.