Lawmakers led by Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, teed up consideration of how Congress approaches the future of autonomous vehicles (AVs) Tuesday, pressing the case for national safety standards that, if successful, will override budding state-level restrictions on the developing technology.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the SELF DRIVE Act in a 12-11 vote Tuesday, a piece of legislation that Latta, its sponsor, framed as a way to fill in the blanks on questions of public and passenger safety.
"There is currently no federal framework for autonomous vehicles, even as the technology continues to advance at a rapid pace," Latta said.
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"It is critical that we prioritize safety, transparency and innovation while keeping up with these developments."
In its current form, the SELF DRIVE Act would create federal safety standards that would apply to AV manufacturers. Those standards, required by September 2027, would be governed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The bill also looks to create a uniform set of definitions for what autonomous driving means and better define how varying levels of assisted driving fit into that picture.
Finally, the bill allows for limited automated driving testing in commercial vehicles.
The bill comes as companies like Waymo already have deployed fleets of self-driving cars to cities like Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Austin, Texas, and others.
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In addition to playing catch-up to domestic innovation, Latta believes a federal framework for self-driving cars will help set a bar for how the international community approaches self-driving technology.
"By strengthening America's role in developing and regulating the autonomous vehicle safety framework, the United States has an opportunity to set the global standard for AV safety," Latta said.
"Doing so will ensure innovation continues to thrive here at home, keep high-quality jobs in America and reinforce our position as a global leader in autonomous vehicle development and manufacturing, especially as we compete with China," Latta said.
Other key players in the self-driving space praised the legislation ahead of the committee's meeting Tuesday.
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"The SELF DRIVE Act would establish a clear national framework for the deployment of autonomous vehicles that will save American lives and unlock significant growth in U.S. manufacturing," Tesla Inc. said in a statement about the bill.
"Honda commends Latta's efforts to advance the SELF-DRIVE Act for 2026 to establish a single national standard for automated vehicle technology," said Jennifer Thomas, senior vice president of corporate affairs at the Honda Motor Company.
Having cleared consideration in committee, it's unclear when the SELF DRIVE Act may reach the floor for a chamber-wide vote.
