CORVA is extremely proud to announce that AB 1613 successfully passed the California State Assembly floor yesterday afternoon with a strong 41–17 vote and now advances to the California State Senate for continued consideration — one step closer to the Governor’s desk.

This represents a significant milestone for the future of Off-Highway Vehicle recreation, rider education, and responsible public land stewardship throughout California.

For several years, CORVA Board Members, along with our Land Use Consultant Ted Cabral, have been actively engaged in this process from the very beginning. Through extensive stakeholder meetings, policy discussions, coalition-building efforts, and direct collaboration with legislators and the California State Parks OHMVR Division, CORVA has remained at the table advocating for balanced, practical, and workable solutions that protect both public access and public safety.

OHV recreation in California is far more than simply riding trails. It represents a statewide culture of family recreation, outdoor education, volunteerism, tourism, economic impact, and stewardship across millions of acres of public land. With more than 1.2 million registered OHVs in California and millions of annual recreation visits to our deserts, forests, dunes, and trail systems, the importance of safety education and responsible land stewardship cannot be overstated.

AB 1613 recognizes something CORVA has long championed: protecting access and promoting safety must work hand-in-hand.

As California’s public lands continue facing unprecedented pressures from closures, litigation, environmental conflicts, and increasing recreational demand, the OHV community must continue demonstrating leadership in responsible recreation, rider preparedness, route compliance, and stewardship ethics. Education remains one of the strongest tools we have to preserve long-term access for future generations while reinforcing the importance of respecting trails, protecting natural resources, and maintaining California’s multiple-use public lands for everyone.

While not all of the coalition’s recommended amendments were ultimately adopted during the Assembly process, meaningful progress was achieved, including:

• Adoption of the five-year renewal requirement
• Confirmation from the OHMVR Division that the bill is intended to apply to all vehicles operating within OHV recreation areas, including street-licensed vehicles
• Continued incorporation of concepts developed through the stakeholder coalition’s multi-year Draft V8 framework process

It is important to recognize that many of the improvements made to AB 1613 were directly influenced by years of collaborative stakeholder engagement involving recreation organizations, safety advocates, land managers, and policy experts working together toward practical implementation solutions.

Because the bill author also served as Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee, the coalition’s strategy throughout the Assembly process focused heavily on maintaining productive collaboration while continuing to pursue additional clarification and implementation improvements as the bill now moves into the Senate.

CORVA still believes additional refinements are important, particularly regarding:

• Mixed-use safety considerations
• Streamlined OHMVR Division-led implementation
• Education-focused enforcement and compliance measures

As the bill advances, CORVA will continue actively participating in discussions with legislative offices, Senate policy staff, OHMVR leadership, and coalition partners to ensure implementation remains practical, effective, and supportive of responsible recreation access.

This legislation is bigger than a single bill. It reflects a growing recognition that California’s OHV community is serious about safety, stewardship, accountability, and protecting the future of motorized recreation on public lands. CORVA will continue working diligently to ensure any statewide OHV education and stewardship framework supports responsible users while preserving the freedoms and opportunities millions of Californians value.

CORVA remains committed to ensuring responsible recreation voices continue to have a seat at the table as these policies move forward.

Thank you to every CORVA member, partner organization, volunteer, advocate, and stakeholder who has participated in this process and helped move these discussions forward. Your involvement matters. Your voice matters. And your commitment to responsible recreation continues making a difference statewide.

We will continue keeping the membership updated as AB 1613 progresses through the Senate process.

Respectfully,

CORVA Board of Directors