“A bill to prescribe standards for autonomous vehicles, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings on autonomous vehicle technology, including (1) its potential to improve transportation safety, efficiency, and mobility; (2) challenges posed by current federal motor vehicle safety standards not designed for fully autonomous vehicles; (3) the need to maintain U.S. global leadership to enhance competitiveness, economic growth, and manufacturing innovation; and (4) evidence that advanced automated driving systems have superior safety records to human drivers, such that human-centric regulations may delay lifesaving implementation.
This section defines terms for purposes of the Act, including "autonomous vehicle" (i.e., a vehicle equipped with a Level 4 or Level 5 automated driving system capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis without human driver involvement), "FMVSS" (i.e., Federal motor vehicle safety standards under 49 U.S.C. §30111(a)), "SAE International Standard J3016" (i.e., SAE Recommended Practice J3016 dated April 2021, or successor), "automated driving system," "Level 4," and "Level 5" (as defined therein), "Secretary" (i.e., Secretary of Transportation acting through the NHTSA Administrator), and "Volpe 2016 Report" (i.e., the March 2016 Volpe Center report on FMVSS barriers for automated vehicles).
This section directs the Secretary of Transportation, not later than one year after enactment, to address certification challenges identified in the Volpe Center 2016 Report relating to (1) the presumption of a human driver and (2) performance specifications, test procedures, or equipment requirements inadequately accounting for autonomous vehicle designs. The Secretary must, as appropriate, develop, amend, interpret, exempt from, or otherwise update Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) or other regulations, guidance, or interpretations to prevent undue obstruction of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicle certification due to human-driver assumptions (e.g., seating arrangements, cabin configurations, window placement, driver controls). (Thus, fully autonomous vehicles—requiring no human intervention in certain or all conditions—may receive safety approvals without traditional driver-centric features.) This section further authorizes the Secretary, at discretion and through rulemaking (including exemptions under 49 U.S.C. §30114(a)), to deem such vehicles compliant with applicable motor vehicle safety regulations, including FMVSS. Not later than 180 days after addressing these challenges, the Secretary must report to the appropriate congressional committees on actions taken, including any new or revised rules or guidance.
This section directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop, not later than one year after enactment, a roadmap for achieving commercial-scale deployment of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles (i.e., vehicles capable of full automation without human intervention in specific or all conditions). The roadmap must (1) support U.S. design, manufacturing, and deployment of such vehicles; (2) promote U.S. leadership in global autonomous vehicle markets and supply chains; (3) identify ways to lower practical, technological, and regulatory barriers; (4) recommend a risk hierarchy and safety standard for autonomous vehicle use; (5) incorporate a supplemental technology assessment addressing developments since the Volpe 2016 Report on automated vehicles, emerging safety concerns, and necessary updates to federal motor vehicle safety standards (FMVSS); and (6) include additional initiatives as needed. Not later than 180 days after enactment, the Secretary must submit to congressional committees an interim update on the supplemental technology assessment; the Secretary must periodically update the roadmap, submit it to Congress, and make it publicly available.