A bill for an act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles transporting hazardous materials, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly HSB 598 .)

House

File

2673

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2673

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

TRANSPORTATION

(SUCCESSOR

TO

HSB

598)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

operation

of

driverless-capable

vehicles

1

transporting

hazardous

materials,

and

making

penalties

2

applicable.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

TLSB

5993HV

(2)

91

th/ns

H.F.

2673

Section

1.

Section

321.515,

subsection

1,

Code

2026,

is

1

amended

to

read

as

follows:

2

1.

a.

A

Except

as

provided

in

paragraph

“b”

,

a

3

driverless-capable

vehicle

may

operate

on

the

public

highways

4

of

this

state

without

a

conventional

human

driver

physically

5

present

in

the

vehicle,

if

the

vehicle

meets

all

of

the

6

following

conditions:

7

a.

(1)

The

vehicle

is

capable

of

achieving

a

minimal

risk

8

condition

if

a

malfunction

of

the

automated

driving

system

9

occurs

that

renders

the

system

unable

to

perform

the

entire

10

dynamic

driving

task

within

the

system’s

intended

operational

11

design

domain,

if

any.

12

b.

(2)

While

in

driverless

operation,

the

vehicle

is

13

capable

of

operating

in

compliance

with

the

applicable

traffic

14

and

motor

vehicle

safety

laws

and

regulations

of

this

state

15

that

govern

the

performance

of

the

dynamic

driving

task,

unless

16

an

exemption

has

been

granted

to

the

vehicle

by

the

department.

17

c.

(3)

The

vehicle

has

been

certified

by

the

vehicle’s

18

manufacturer

to

be

in

compliance

with

all

applicable

federal

19

motor

vehicle

safety

standards,

except

to

the

extent

an

20

exemption

has

been

granted

for

the

vehicle

under

applicable

21

federal

law

or

by

the

national

highway

traffic

safety

22

administration.

23

b.

A

driverless-capable

vehicle

transporting

hazardous

24

material,

as

defined

in

section

321.1,

subsection

31,

shall

not

25

operate

without

a

conventional

human

driver.

26

EXPLANATION

27

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

28

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

29

Under

current

law,

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

equipped

30

with

an

automated

driving

system

and

meeting

certain

31

requirements

is

authorized

to

operate

on

highways

while

32

performing

all

real-time

operational

and

tactical

functions

33

(dynamic

driving

task)

regardless

of

whether

a

conventional

34

human

driver

is

present

in

the

vehicle.

The

operation

of

a

35

-1-

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2

H.F.

2673

driverless-capable

vehicle

is

governed

by

Code

sections

321.514

1

through

321.519

and

all

applicable

traffic

and

motor

vehicle

2

safety

laws.

3

This

bill

prohibits

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

4

transporting

hazardous

material

from

operating

without

a

5

conventional

human

driver.

“Hazardous

material”

is

defined

for

6

purposes

of

Code

chapter

321

as

a

substance

or

material

which

7

has

been

determined

by

the

U.S.

secretary

of

transportation

to

8

be

capable

of

posing

an

unreasonable

risk

to

health,

safety,

9

and

property

when

transported

in

commerce,

and

which

has

been

10

so

designated.

By

operation

of

law,

a

person

who

violates

this

11

provision

commits

a

simple

misdemeanor

pursuant

to

Code

section

12

321.482.

A

simple

misdemeanor

is

punishable

by

confinement

for

13

no

more

than

30

days

and

a

fine

of

at

least

$105

but

not

more

14

than

$855.

15

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LSB

5993HV

(2)

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2