The House and Senate versions of the RPM Act of 2017 (Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports) were the subject of hearings in November, indicating that congressional leaders are getting their bills ready for consideration by each body.

H.R. 350 and S. 203 would protect the right to modify street vehicles—including motorcycles—into dedicated racers and the industry’s right to sell the parts that enable racers to compete.

The AMA joins the Specialty Equipment Market Association and other organizations in supporting this important legislation.

The RPM Act would ensure that converting vehicles for use exclusively in competition does not violate the federal Clean Air Act.

“The RPM Act would ensure that converting vehicles for use exclusively in competition does not violate the federal Clean Air Act.”

The Clean Air Act of 1970 established the authority of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate motor vehicles used on highways and to prevent modifications that would take those vehicles out of compliance with emission regulations. However, Congress did not intend for the law to apply to racing vehicles.

For nearly 50 years, this activity was unquestioned. But, in 2015, the EPA published proposed regulations that deemed such conversions illegal and subject to severe penalties.

While the EPA withdrew the problematic language from its final rule making in 2016, the agency still maintains that the practice of converting street vehicles to race vehicles is unlawful.

When the RPM Act was first introduced in 2016, racing enthusiasts and Americans working in the motorsports parts industry flooded Congress with nearly 200,000 letters in support of the bill.

Motorsports competition involves tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners each year, both amateur and professional, according to SEMA. Retail sales of racing products make up a $1.4 billion market annually. There are an estimated 1,300 racetracks operating across the country, including oval, road, track and off-road racetracks, the majority of which feature converted race vehicles that the EPA now considers to be illegal.