Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, this week introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act, groundbreaking legislation aimed at transforming autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment in the United States. The Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act seeks to move the nation beyond policy discussions and toward practical implementation of self-driving technology.
“For nearly a decade, Washington has talked about autonomous vehicles without meaningful action,” Lummis said. “This legislation cuts through the red tape and establishes a clear path forward for getting safe autonomous vehicles on American roads where they can save lives, create jobs, and maintain our technological leadership. Wyoming is a highway state and ensuring that autonomous vehicles are integrated in the safest way possible remains my number one priority.”
Background:
The bill addresses two critical components for AV acceleration:
1. It requires federal agencies to implement recommendations from the landmark 2016 federal report on autonomous vehicles within one-year, jumpstarting progress on long-dormant policy objectives.
2. Most significantly, the legislation establishes a comprehensive roadmap for achieving commercially viable Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles – advanced self-driving systems that require minimal to no human intervention. The Secretary of Transportation will be tasked with identifying essential needs and regulatory barriers that must be addressed to facilitate widespread deployment.
Read the full bill text here.
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