Local Government Duties Equestrian Protections

The bill defines an equestrian zone as an area that a municipality or county determines is suburban or urban and contains:

• Public equestrian venues;
• Residential neighborhoods where significant numbers of equestrians live and engage in equestrian activities;
• Keystone properties that have equestrian facilities that stable horses, serve the community, or provide equestrian services; or
• Roads or trails that equestrians regularly use and that are related to the areas described in the last 3 bullet points.

The bill requires municipalities and counties to:

• Construct and maintain infrastructure necessary to access horse trails and install signs that notify the public of the infrastructure;
• Identify locations where equestrian road crossings are needed to safely use horse trails, construct and maintain the equestrian road crossings in those places, and install signs notifying the public of the crossings;
• Publish a map showing the location and character of existing or proposed equestrian infrastructure;
• Erect road signs bearing the universal equestrian sign symbol and the words "wide and slow" in equestrian zones; and
• Identify and show the location and character of existing or proposed equestrian infrastructure, venues, and riding zones on master plans.

A municipality or county may organize public events to educate the public about equestrian use of recreational trails and roads and the duties of users of trails and roads with regard to equestrian users.

In an equestrian zone on a road, the driver of a motor vehicle must, when passing an equestrian:

• Proceed with due care and caution, passing wide and slow;
• Refrain from using the vehicle's horn, unless necessary to avoid an unsafe condition or harming the equestrian;
• Obey a signal from the equestrian to stop or slow the motor vehicle;
• Keep the motor vehicle from exceeding 10 miles per hour; and
• Maintain 6 feet of distance from the equestrian.

When using a road, equestrian riders may proceed 2 abreast if one of the riders is under 18 years of age or if one of the equestrians is inexperienced and the young or inexperienced equestrian is closest to the edge of the road. Equestrians have the right-of-way at a designated equestrian road crossing. The local authority must post a permanent sign at an equestrian road crossing.

The division of local government in the department of local affairs is given the duty of educating sheriffs and local law enforcement of these trail and road provisions. The department of revenue is given the duty of adopting rules to add the road provisions to driver's education curricula.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)