House Commerce Debates Autonomous Vehicle Legislation

The House Commerce Committee is committed to advancing bipartisan legislation for regulating autonomous vehicles, Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said at a hearing Tuesday. Ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore., asked why a bipartisan plan that passed the House in 2017 but stalled in the Senate (see 2001100042) isn’t enough. Certain protections are needed to ensure self-driving cars operate safely, Pallone said. The legislation should “facilitate the collection and reporting of vital crash and incident data, and protect Americans’ rights to access the courts for the inevitable incidents related to self-driving cars,” he said. Bipartisan legislation can be advanced without compromising safety, said Walden. If Congress fails to pass a bill, “investment in this transformative technology will go abroad,” said House Consumer Protection Subcommittee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. “If we fail, the safety, less congestion, and mobility benefits that come with this technology will go elsewhere.” CTA CEO Gary Shapiro, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety President Cathy Chase and Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella urged passage of legislation, with elements from the existing bills. A law is needed to ensure the federal government is responsible for regulation, which will make the U.S. more competitive, Shapiro said. “The worst outcome would be for Congress to delay the enactment of meaningful legislation that would establish the needed federal framework to realize these safety and mobility solutions,” Bozzella said.