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H3649 • 2025

An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles

An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Michael S. Day
Last action
2025-11-24
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H4775
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.

An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles

An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles By Representative Day of Stoneham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles By Representative Day of Stoneham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 3649) of Michael S.
  • Day relative to limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles.
  • Transportation.

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. 2025-11-24 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H4775

  2. 2025-06-18 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 06/24/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-06-16 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/24/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-2

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Transportation

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles
By Representative Day of Stoneham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3649) of Michael S. Day relative to limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles. Transportation.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.3649

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Automobile transporter” the following 2 definitions:-

“Autonomous technology,” technology installed on a motor vehicle that has the capability to control the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed, without the active control or monitoring by a human operator; provided, however, that

“autonomous technology” shall not include active safety or driver assistance technology, including, electronic blind spot assistance, crash avoidance, emergency braking, parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assistance, lane departure warning, or traffic jam and queuing assistant, unless any of the technology, alone or in combination with other technology, enables the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed to drive without the active control or monitoring by a human operator.

“Autonomous vehicle,” any motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology.

SECTION 2. Said section 1 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Way” the following definition:-

“Zero emission vehicle”, a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 90 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 19L the following section:-

Section 19M.

An autonomous vehicle operated on the ways of the commonwealth shall be a zero emission vehicle.

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