If you think the laws are bad in America, just wait till you see how bad and how draconian the law is in Australia regarding motorized bicycles.
Down here, the new laws state that:
If the bike is moving, the pedals must be turning.
The engine can only provide (up to) an anemic 250 watts of power and if the pedals are not turning, the engine cannot produce any power or any motorized assistance.
The engine must stop producing power when the bicycle speed reaches 20 kilometers per hour (12 mph).
The total amount of traffic infringements/fines (for an over spec engine) amounts to around $6,000 if you are an unlicensed driver on a serving DUI charge and around $4,000 if you are just an unlicensed driver and around $2,500 if you are a licensed car driver with a valid motorcycle licence, travelling at 21 kilometers per hour without the bicycle pedals turning and an engine that produces more than one third of a horsepower without an integrated electronic system that automatically stops the engine if the pedals stop turning.