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HF2375 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to conventional human drivers physically present in certain driverless-capable vehicles, and making penalties applicable. Effective date: 07/01/2026.

A bill for an act relating to conventional human drivers physically present in certain driverless-capable vehicles, and making penalties applicable. Effective date: 07/01/2026.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
GOSA
Last action
2026-02-16
Official status
Subcommittee recommends passage.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

A bill for an act relating to conventional human drivers physically present in certain driverless-capable vehicles, and making penalties applicable. Effective date: 07/01/2026.

A bill for an act relating to conventional human drivers physically present in certain driverless-capable vehicles, and making penalties applicable.

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to conventional human drivers physically present in certain driverless-capable vehicles, and making penalties applicable.
  • Effective date: 07/01/2026.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-16 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee recommends passage.

  2. 2026-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee Meeting: 02/16/2026 12:30PM RM 304.

  3. 2026-02-12 Iowa Legislature

    Subcommittee: Gosa, Jones and Siegrist. H.J. 278 .

  4. 2026-02-10 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, referred to Transportation. H.J. 242 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to conventional human drivers physically present in certain driverless-capable vehicles, and making penalties applicable. Effective date: 07/01/2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
House

File

2375

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2375

BY

GOSA

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

conventional

human

drivers

physically

1

present

in

certain

driverless-capable

vehicles,

and

making

2

penalties

applicable.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

TLSB

6558YH

(1)

91

th/ns

H.F.

2375

Section

1.

Section

321.515,

subsection

1,

unnumbered

1

paragraph

1,

Code

2026,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

A

driverless-capable

vehicle

may

operate

on

the

public

3

highways

of

this

state

without

a

conventional

human

driver

4

physically

present

in

the

vehicle,

unless

required

under

5

section

321.515A,

if

the

vehicle

meets

all

of

the

following

6

conditions:

7

Sec.

2.

NEW

SECTION

.

321.515A

Conventional

human

driver

——

8

when

required.

9

A

driverless-capable

vehicle

operating

for

commercial

10

purposes,

and

not

for

personal

use,

shall

not

operate

on

the

11

public

highways

of

this

state

without

a

conventional

human

12

driver

physically

present

in

the

vehicle.

The

conventional

13

human

driver

must

have

the

ability

to

monitor

the

vehicle’s

14

operation

and,

if

necessary,

intervene

by

taking

over

the

15

operation

of

the

vehicle

manually,

including

but

not

limited

16

to

by

stopping

and

shutting

off

the

vehicle.

A

conventional

17

human

driver

required

under

this

section

shall

hold

a

driver’s

18

license

and

any

endorsement

that

would

otherwise

be

required

19

for

the

operation

of

the

vehicle,

and

shall

comply

with

all

20

applicable

federal

and

state

laws

regulating

automated

and

21

conventional

vehicles.

22

EXPLANATION

23

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

24

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

25

Under

current

law,

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

is

26

authorized

to

operate

on

the

public

highways

of

Iowa

without

27

a

conventional

human

driver

physically

present

in

the

vehicle

28

if

the

vehicle

meets

all

of

the

specified

system

and

safety

29

requirements.

30

This

bill

requires

a

conventional

human

driver

to

be

31

physically

present

in

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

if

the

32

vehicle

is

operating

for

commercial

purposes

and

not

personal

33

use.

34

Under

the

bill,

a

conventional

human

driver

physically

35

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1/

2

H.F.

2375

present

in

a

vehicle

operating

in

accordance

with

the

bill

must

1

have

the

ability

to

monitor

the

driverless-capable

vehicle’s

2

operation

and,

if

necessary,

intervene

by

taking

over

the

3

operation

of

the

vehicle

manually,

including

but

not

limited

to

4

by

stopping

and

shutting

off

the

vehicle.

5

In

addition,

the

bill

requires

such

a

conventional

human

6

driver

to

hold

a

driver’s

license

and

any

endorsement

that

7

would

otherwise

be

required

for

the

operation

of

the

vehicle,

8

and

to

comply

with

all

applicable

federal

and

state

laws

9

regulating

automated

and

conventional

vehicles.

Under

current

10

law,

special

driver’s

licenses

and

driver’s

license

types

11

are

required

for

the

operation

of

different

types

of

motor

12

vehicles,

including

motorcycles,

motorized

bicycles,

and

13

commercial

motor

vehicles

(CMV).

In

particular,

a

person

14

generally

must

hold

a

commercial

driver’s

license

(CDL)

15

to

operate

a

CMV.

A

vehicle

is

considered

a

CMV

based

on

16

the

vehicle’s

weight,

design,

and

use.

While

transporting

17

certain

passengers

or

loads,

different

types

of

special

CDL

18

endorsements

are

required.

19

By

operation

of

law,

a

person

who

operates

a

motor

vehicle

20

that

requires

a

driver’s

license

commits

a

simple

misdemeanor

21

punishable

by

a

scheduled

fine

of

$260

if

the

person

does

not

22

hold

a

driver’s

license

valid

for

the

vehicle’s

operation

(Code

23

section

805.8A(4)).

24

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2