RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina legislators have taken a small first step toward regulating electric scooters as big cities wrestle with managing scooters and the companies that offer them to the public.

A House transportation panel voted Tuesday to define "electric standup scooters'' in state law and make clear they're exempt from registration requirements for mopeds and other vehicles. 

The bill's initial version contained more regulations directing how and where scooters can be ridden and parked, and made clear municipal governments can prohibit use on sidewalks and license scooter companies.

Bill sponsor Rep. John Torbett says the proposal wouldn't affect scooter operations in general if it became law. More comprehensive rules could be considered at a later date. 

Asheville and Winston-Salem city councils have prohibited some scooter companies from operating.