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SF2384 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SSB 3052 .)

A bill for an act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SSB 3052 .)

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Last action
2026-03-19
Official status
Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 599 .
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 the operation of driverless-capable vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SSB 3052 .)

A bill for an act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SSB 3052 .)

What This Bill Does

  • A bill for an act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SSB 3052 .)

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. 2026-03-19 Iowa Legislature

    Placed on calendar under unfinished business. S.J. 599 .

  2. 2026-02-19 Iowa Legislature

    Committee report, approving bill. S.J. 341 .

  3. 2026-02-19 Iowa Legislature

    Introduced, placed on calendar. S.J. 325 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly SSB 3052 .)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Senate

File

2384

-

Introduced

SENATE

FILE

2384

BY

COMMITTEE

ON

TRANSPORTATION

(SUCCESSOR

TO

SSB

3052)

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

the

operation

of

driverless-capable

1

vehicles,

including

associated

civil

and

criminal

liability,

2

and

making

penalties

applicable.

3

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

4

TLSB

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91

th/ns

S.F.

2384

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

shall

not

operate

without

a

conventional

human

driver.

25

Sec.

2.

Section

321.515,

subsection

2,

paragraph

b,

Code

26

2026,

is

amended

to

read

as

follows:

27

b.

An

automated

driving

system,

while

engaged,

shall

be

28

designed

to

operate

within

the

system’s

operational

design

29

domain

and

in

compliance

with

the

applicable

traffic

and

30

motor

vehicle

safety

laws

and

regulations

of

this

state

that

31

govern

the

performance

of

the

dynamic

driving

task,

unless

an

32

exemption

has

been

granted

to

the

vehicle

by

the

department.

33

Sec.

3.

NEW

SECTION

.

321.515A

Civil

and

criminal

liability.

34

1.

The

owner

of

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

is

deemed

to

35

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be

operating

the

vehicle

while

the

automated

driving

system

is

1

engaged

and

shall

be

liable

for

all

of

the

following:

2

a.

Personal

injury,

death,

or

property

damage

that

results

3

in

connection

with

the

operation

of

the

vehicle.

4

b.

Violations

of

traffic

or

motor

vehicle

safety

laws

and

5

regulations

of

this

state,

including

but

not

limited

to

as

6

described

in

section

321.517.

7

2.

A

person

who

modifies

an

automated

driving

system

of

a

8

driverless-capable

vehicle

without

the

manufacturer’s

consent

9

shall

be

liable

for

any

damage

related

to

the

operation

of

the

10

vehicle.

However,

if

the

owner

of

the

vehicle

directed

the

11

person

to

modify

the

system,

the

owner

shall

be

liable.

12

EXPLANATION

13

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

14

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

15

Under

current

law,

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

equipped

16

with

an

automated

driving

system

and

meeting

certain

17

requirements

is

authorized

to

operate

on

highways

while

18

performing

all

real-time

operational

and

tactical

functions

19

(dynamic

driving

task)

regardless

of

whether

a

conventional

20

human

driver

is

present

in

the

vehicle.

The

operation

of

a

21

driverless-capable

vehicle

is

governed

by

Code

sections

321.514

22

through

321.519

and

all

applicable

traffic

and

motor

vehicle

23

safety

laws.

24

This

bill

prohibits

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

25

transporting

hazardous

material

from

operating

without

a

26

conventional

human

driver.

“Hazardous

material”

is

defined

for

27

purposes

of

Code

chapter

321

as

a

substance

or

material

which

28

has

been

determined

by

the

U.S.

secretary

of

transportation

to

29

be

capable

of

posing

an

unreasonable

risk

to

health,

safety,

30

and

property

when

transported

in

commerce,

and

which

has

been

31

so

designated.

By

operation

of

law,

a

person

who

violates

this

32

provision

commits

a

simple

misdemeanor

pursuant

to

Code

section

33

321.482.

A

simple

misdemeanor

is

punishable

by

confinement

for

34

no

more

than

30

days

and

a

fine

of

at

least

$105

but

not

more

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than

$855.

1

Under

current

law,

an

automated

driving

system

that

is

2

capable

of

performing

the

entire

dynamic

driving

task

must

be

3

designed

to

operate

within

the

system’s

operational

design

4

domain

in

compliance

with

the

applicable

traffic

and

motor

5

vehicle

safety

laws

and

regulations

that

govern

the

performance

6

of

the

dynamic

driving

task,

unless

an

exemption

has

been

7

granted

to

the

vehicle

by

the

department

of

transportation.

8

The

bill

rephrases

this

provision

to

require

the

system

to

9

operate

within

the

system’s

operational

design

domain

rather

10

than

be

designed

to

operate

in

that

manner.

11

The

bill

imputes

liability

to

the

owner

of

a

12

driverless-capable

vehicle

for

personal

injury,

death,

13

or

property

damage

that

results

in

connection

with

the

14

operation

of

the

vehicle

and

for

violations

of

traffic

or

motor

15

vehicle

safety

laws

and

regulations.

A

person

who

modifies

16

an

automated

driving

system

of

a

driverless-capable

vehicle

17

without

the

manufacturer’s

consent

is

liable

for

any

damage

18

related

to

the

operation

of

the

vehicle,

unless

the

owner

of

19

the

vehicle

directed

the

person

to

modify

the

system,

in

which

20

case

the

owner

is

liable.

21

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