Legislation Bonanza - Focus on Pennsylvania

Would everyone just stop already? I do not have time for all things driverless at this rate. TMI - too much information. And one must actually read the information to determine whether it is (a) info vomit, (b) mildly significant, (c) or truly valuable.

But that is life, no?

Pennsylvania legislation

Pennsylvania (PA) Senate bill 427 - A long, detailed bill, presumably designed to sidetrack the state DOT (my opinion) in making detailed decisions about driverless testing and applications to test autonomous vehicles. The legislation does not concern sale and normal operations of AV in everyday life on state roads. 

This is not only an AV piece of legislation. The bill makes a big deal of addressing platooning and offering analogous provisions for platooning at every opportunity. That contributes to the length of the bill, obviously.

Pretty meaningless department

(1) An advisory committee of mostly state officials who are required to meet at least once a year to discuss AV and platooning issues. Insert - sigh here; harrumphs are acceptable.
(2) Report due by Jan. 1, 2020 that is supposed to cover the AV kitchen sink of issues.
(3) Another report due by Jan. 1, 2020 to address barriers to AV and platooning testing, deployment, and operation. 
(4) A third report due by a different date, this time Jan. 1, 2025, to address infrastructure improvements and funding relating to AV and platooning. This legislation will definitely have been superseded by then. 

Standard provisions

Ability to satisfy a judgment for damages.
Preemption of local laws.

Interesting stuff

Special sticker on every AV or platooning vehicle being tested. No word on size or design of the required sticker. (My obnoxiousness is visualizing the you're-great-stickers that pediatricians give to kids at the end of each appointment, the one that even four year olds don't care about.) (One more parenthetical: Uber already does the sticker thing.)

Approval or denial of applications to test AVs must be issued within 15 business days, but the public will be entitled to comment. A quick process; I question how meaningful or promoted the public comment right will be.

Level 4 and 5 vehicles being tested may be controlled remotely. There is NO requirement that a licensed human be on board and ready to take over the wheel.

There is a provision that mandates reporting of cybersecurity breaches. 

Instead of using either the word "crash" or "collision," the bill employs the word "accident." After an accident with a vehicle being tested and the requisite reporting of the episode, the bill would allow for "self-certification" explaining how the tester will "reinstate" the AV or platooning vehicle back into service.

An audit once every two years of every permit. The process will also be designed to examine safe testing and management of AV and platooning. 

More stuff to read ...