Congress Takes Steps To Revive Legislation Regulating Autonomous Vehicles

On July 26, 2023, the House Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hosted a legislative hearing entitled "Self-Driving Vehicle Legislative Framework: Enhancing Safety, Improving Lives and Mobility, and Beating China,"¹as an initial step toward reviving legislation regulating automated vehicles ("AVs") originally introduced in 2017. The hearing centered on the importance of enacting a national framework for AVs that addresses:

• The safe operation and deployment of AVs;
• The role of AV technology in breaking down transportation barriers for those with disabilities and other mobility challenges;
• The economic importance of solidifying the U.S.'s role as a world leader in the automotive industry through the continued expansion of the design and manufacturing of AV technology in the U.S.;