republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2020/hb-543.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Electric power-assisted bicycles; amends definition."
description: "Electric power-assisted bicycles. Amends the definition of \"electric power-assisted bicycle\" to include three classes of such bicycles, based upon the type of motor and the maximum miles per hour that the motor is capable of propelling the bicycle. The bill also provides that electric power-assisted bicycles and operators are afforded the same rights and privileges as bicycles and operators and limits local and state regulation of the operation of such electric power-assisted bicycles to certain bicycle paths, shared-use paths, and trails. The bill requires manufacturers and distributors of electric power-assisted bicycles to include (i) on each electric power-assisted bicycle, a label indicating certain technical specifications and (ii) on each class three electric power-assisted bicycle, a miles-per-hour speedometer. The bill requires persons operating or riding on a class three electric power-assisted bicycle to wear a helmet. This bill is identical to SB 871."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2020"
identifier: "HB 543"
citation: "Virginia HB 543 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Betsy B. Carr"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 23
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2020-01-05"
last_action: "2020-03-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/86361d63-4c0f-4fdf-9bc1-a107fc08bd0b"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+sum+HB543"
source_hash: "367be4924f6de8cc5275af79746c8608dd172436f377df22f81dd63eee4fd761"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 543 (2020) — Electric power-assisted bicycles; amends definition.

Electric power-assisted bicycles. Amends the definition of "electric power-assisted bicycle" to include three classes of such bicycles, based upon the type of motor and the maximum miles per hour that the motor is capable of propelling the bicycle. The bill also provides that electric power-assisted bicycles and operators are afforded the same rights and privileges as bicycles and operators and limits local and state regulation of the operation of such electric power-assisted bicycles to certain bicycle paths, shared-use paths, and trails. The bill requires manufacturers and distributors of electric power-assisted bicycles to include (i) on each electric power-assisted bicycle, a label indicating certain technical specifications and (ii) on each class three electric power-assisted bicycle, a miles-per-hour speedometer. The bill requires persons operating or riding on a class three electric power-assisted bicycle to wear a helmet. This bill is identical to SB 871.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0059)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+CHAP0059)
2. **Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB543ER)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB543ER)
3. **Impact statement from DPB (HB543)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?201+ful+HB543)

## Votes

- Reported from Transportation (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- VOTE: Passage (86-Y 10-N) — **85–10** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N) — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N) — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Transportation (21-Y 1-N) — **21–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Betsy B. Carr — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-05** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20102771D `introduction`
- **2020-01-05** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-15** Assigned Transportation sub: Transportation Innovations and General Topics `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-16** Impact statement from DPB (HB543)
- **2020-01-21** Subcommittee recommends reporting (8-Y 0-N)
- **2020-01-23** Reported from Transportation (21-Y 1-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-01-27** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2020-01-28** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2020-01-29** Read third time and passed House (86-Y 10-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2020-01-29** VOTE: Passage (86-Y 10-N)
- **2020-01-30** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2020-01-30** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-13** Reported from Transportation (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-17** Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
- **2020-02-18** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-18** Passed Senate (38-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2020-02-20** Enrolled
- **2020-02-20** Impact statement from DPB (HB543ER)
- **2020-02-20** Signed by Speaker
- **2020-02-21** Signed by President
- **2020-02-25** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 25, 2020
- **2020-02-25** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 3, 2020
- **2020-03-02** Approved by Governor-Chapter 59 (effective 7/1/20) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/86361d63-4c0f-4fdf-9bc1-a107fc08bd0b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).