A California congressman recently introduced legislation to establish a national framework for autonomous vehicle (AV) trucking.
Congressman Vince Fong, a Republican from California, introduced the AMERICA DRIVES Act, which he says advances the modernization of our nation’s supply chain to accommodate the safe and effective growth of commercial automated driving systems (ADS).
(The AMERICA DRIVES Act stands for the Autonomous Mobility Ensuring Regulation, Innovation, Commerce, and Advancement Driving Reliability in Vehicle Efficiency and Safety Act)
“While Europe and China are rapidly integrating autonomous trucks into their supply chains, America is asleep at the wheel, hamstrung by a confusing patchwork of state regulations that threaten public safety, innovation, and economic growth,” said Fong. “By establishing a federal framework for autonomous trucks and empowering the Department of Transportation to set practical regulations, we can safely scale this emerging technology nationwide.”
According to a statement from Fong, 35 states allow some form of autonomous truck testing or deployment, while others have imposed restrictive or conflicting regulations. Exacerbating the patchwork of state laws surrounding AV trucking that create uncertainty for interstate commerce is the ongoing need for truck drivers.
Fong said his AMERICA DRIVES Act aims to end this regulatory fragmentation. He said his bill jumpstarts the effort to establish clear national safety and performance standards, especially for commercial use, and define the roles and responsibilities of federal and state governments to avoid overlap and confusion.
Specifically, Fong said his legislation would:
- Establish a federal framework over state laws requiring human drivers in commercial vehicles with Level 4 or 5 ADS, update federal definitions to include ADS-equipped vehicles, align ADS levels with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International standards, and authorizes interstate testing and operation of fully automated trucks without human or remote drivers onboard.
- Codify the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) 2018 interpretation that federal safety regulations don’t require a human driver, directs FMCSA to update rules by 2027 for ADS-equipped vehicles, exempt fully autonomous trucks from human-specific requirements (e.g., hours of service, drug testing), defines “remote driver” and “remote assistance” per SAE International standards, and prohibit regulations that uniquely burden ADS vehicles.
- Codify that a flashing, cab-mounted warning beacon may be used instead of warning triangles for disabled commercial vehicles, aligning with a 2023 FMCSA exemption request.
To learn more about the AMERICA DRIVES Act, you can read the full bill text here.
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