Bicycle/Pedestrian Holidays Bill passes Missouri Senate Committee

Rep. Will Kraus

HB 1691, to make Bike Month, Bike to Work Week, and Walk/Bike to School Day/Week/Month a permanent part of the Missouri state holidays calendar, has received a "do pass" recommendation from the Progress and Development Committee of the Missouri Senate.

Even better, the bill is designated as a "consent bill,"  meaning that it will most likely be passed by the Missouri Senate in a routine matter over the next few weeks.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Will Kraus, has already passed the Missouri House, also as a consent bill.

Senator Victor Callahan

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

            Section A. Chapter 9, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 9.164 and 9.165, to read as follows:

            9.164. 1. The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the month of October as "Walk & Bike to School Month" and the first Wednesday of October as "Walk & Bike to School Day" in Missouri to improve the safety of students walking and bicycling to school, encourage more children to safely walk and bicycle to school, and promote the benefits of walking and cycling to school, including physical activity and better student health and physical fitness, improved academics, reduced congestion and pollution, and more livable communities.

9.165. The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the month of May as "Missouri Bicycle Month", the third Friday of May as "Bike to Work Day", and the week of bike to work day as "Bike to Work Week" in Missouri to promote bicycling as a viable and environmentally sound form of transportation and a source of healthful recreation, promote bicycle safety and encourage all users to safely share the road, promote Missouri as a great destination for bicycle tourism, and promote the benefits of bicycling for health, physical fitness, family togetherness, economic development, and creating a vibrant, healthy, and livable state.