As we reported in March, a new federal law designed to keep children from being exposed to lead in toys has led to a ban on selling small motorcycles and ATVs to children under 12. Congress will try to change that.

It took an act of Congress to force the Consumer Product Safety Commission to ban any products that have any lead in them if a child under twelve is going to use the product. Now a new act of Congress is in the works, to exclude dirt bikes, and ATVs for kids from the ban.

A spokesperson for the Consumer Product Safety Commission explained that in August of last year Congress passed a very sweeping child safety law, that resulted in some of the strictest lead rules in the world. The law applies to all products meant for children under the age of 12, including small off road vehicles.

Now Senator John Tester, a democrat from Montana, has introduced legislation to fix this glitch in the lead ban. The new legislation seeks to allow sales of the ATVs and dirt bikes, but also allow bikes to be sold used, and allow parts for the vehicles to be sold as well. All of which are currently banned by the new law.

The bill has been introduced but not yet voted on by the Senate.

To follow the progress of the bill as it moves through Congress, check out the website opencongress.org. The bill is S 608.