WASHINGTON, DC - House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders will hold a press conference open to credentialed members of the media on Thursday, September 6, 2018 to call on the Senate to pass self-driving car legislation. The press conference marks one year since the House approved the bipartisan SELF DRIVE Act by voice vote, the first-of-its-kind federal framework for the safe and innovative development and deployment of self-driving cars.
After a year of delays, forcing automakers and innovators to develop in a state-by-state patchwork of rules, the Senate must act to support this critical safety innovation and secure America’s place as a global leader in technology.
WHO: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
WHEN: Thursday, September 6, 2018 at approximately 2 p.m. ET, pending vote schedule.
WHERE: Senate Swamp stakeout location.
BACKGROUND:
After unanimous 54-0 approval from the Energy and Commerce Committee, the SELF DRIVE Act went on to pass the House by voice vote on September 6, 2017. The legislation would:
* Require the submission of safety assessment certifications by manufacturers of self-driving cars which provides greater transparency for disclosures for the public.
* Improve the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) access to safety data for future updates and developments of safety standards.
* Strengthen NHTSA’s ability to update 1970s era regulations which do not contemplate the features and functions of a self-driving car.
* Maintains NHTSA’s broad recall authority to remove unsafe cars from our roadways, as well as impose civil and criminal penalties it deems appropriate.
* Clarifies the state and federal roles with respect to self-driving cars.
** States will continue to perform their traditional role in regulating vehicle registration, licensing, driving education and training, insurance, law enforcement, crash investigations, safety and emissions inspections, congestion management, and traffic laws.
** NHTSA will continue to be the sole agency responsible for safety by regulating the design, construction, and performance of self-driving cars to avoid requirements that would prohibit or limit interstate commerce and travel.
