Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that requires all new self-driving cars to be zero-emission by 2030.

Highlights:

• Requires certification by the manufacturer of the autonomous technology that satisfies all of the following requirements (Sec. 1):

• The autonomous vehicle has a mechanism to engage and disengage the autonomous technology that is easily accessible to the operator; and

• The autonomous vehicle has a visual indicator inside the cabin to indicate when the autonomous technology is engaged.

• Requires the autonomous vehicle has a system to safely alert the operator if an autonomous technology failure is detected while the autonomous technology is engaged, and when an alert is given, the system to do either of the following (Sec. 1):

• Require the operator to take control of the autonomous vehicle; and 

• If the operator does not or is unable to take control of the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle must be capable of coming to a complete stop.

• Specifies the autonomous vehicle must allow the operator to take control in multiple manners, including, without limitation, through the use of the brake, the accelerator pedal, or the steering wheel, and it must alert the operator that the autonomous technology has been disengaged (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the autonomous vehicle’s autonomous technology meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the vehicle’s model year and all other applicable safety standards and performance requirements outlined in state and federal law and the regulations promulgated according to those laws (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that the autonomous vehicle has a separate mechanism, in addition to, and separate from, any other mechanism required by law, to capture and store the autonomous technology sensor data for at least 30 seconds before a collision occurs between the autonomous vehicle and another vehicle, object, or natural person while the vehicle is operating in autonomous mode. The autonomous technology sensor data shall be captured and stored in a read-only format by the mechanism so that the data is retained until extracted from the mechanism by an external device capable of downloading and storing the data. The data shall be preserved for three years after the date of the collision (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that requires all new self-driving cars to be zero-emission by 2030.

Highlights:

• Requires certification by the manufacturer of the autonomous technology that satisfies all of the following requirements (Sec. 1):

• The autonomous vehicle has a mechanism to engage and disengage the autonomous technology that is easily accessible to the operator; and

• The autonomous vehicle has a visual indicator inside the cabin to indicate when the autonomous technology is engaged.

• Requires the autonomous vehicle has a system to safely alert the operator if an autonomous technology failure is detected while the autonomous technology is engaged, and when an alert is given, the system to do either of the following (Sec. 1):

• Require the operator to take control of the autonomous vehicle; and 

• If the operator does not or is unable to take control of the autonomous vehicle, the autonomous vehicle must be capable of coming to a complete stop.

• Specifies the autonomous vehicle must allow the operator to take control in multiple manners, including, without limitation, through the use of the brake, the accelerator pedal, or the steering wheel, and it must alert the operator that the autonomous technology has been disengaged (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that the autonomous vehicle’s autonomous technology meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the vehicle’s model year and all other applicable safety standards and performance requirements outlined in state and federal law and the regulations promulgated according to those laws (Sec. 1).

• Establishes that the autonomous vehicle has a separate mechanism, in addition to, and separate from, any other mechanism required by law, to capture and store the autonomous technology sensor data for at least 30 seconds before a collision occurs between the autonomous vehicle and another vehicle, object, or natural person while the vehicle is operating in autonomous mode. The autonomous technology sensor data shall be captured and stored in a read-only format by the mechanism so that the data is retained until extracted from the mechanism by an external device capable of downloading and storing the data. The data shall be preserved for three years after the date of the collision (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text