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SB0310 • 2026

Motor Vehicles

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55 and Title 65, relative to autonomous vehicles.

Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Massey, Vital
Last action
2025-02-12
Official status
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The effective date of July 1, 2025, is mentioned in the official text but was included as part of a summary statement rather than directly stated.

Rules for Self-Driving Cars in Tennessee

This bill changes Tennessee's laws to require a human driver to be present and ready to take control of self-driving cars used to transport people or goods for pay across state lines.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law so that self-driving cars must have a person in the driver’s seat when they are used to carry passengers or goods for pay across state lines.
  • Requires this person to be able to take control of the car if needed and to hold a valid driver's license.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Companies that use self-driving cars to transport people or goods across state lines.

Terms To Know

Automated Driving System (ADS)
A system that can control a vehicle without human input, allowing it to drive itself under certain conditions.
Interstate commerce
Business activities that involve crossing state borders.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the new rules are broken.
  • It is unclear how this will affect existing self-driving car companies in Tennessee.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1168

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for Tennessee to conduct a study on autonomous vehicles and report findings by January 15, 2027.

  • TACIR (Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations) must conduct a comprehensive study on the use of autonomous vehicles in Tennessee.
  • The study will cover various aspects including safety, employment impact, and potential state revenue from licensing these vehicles.
  • All relevant state departments must assist TACIR with this study.
  • TACIR is required to submit its findings and recommendations by January 15, 2027.
  • The amendment does not specify how the existing resources of TACIR will be allocated for this new task.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee

  2. 2026-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

  3. 2026-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Transportation Committee for 3/17/2026

  4. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  5. 2026-03-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Transportation Committee

  6. 2026-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/10/2026

  7. 2026-03-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  8. 2026-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly

    Taken off notice for cal in s/c Transportation Subcommittee of Transportation Committee

  9. 2026-01-28 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 2/3/2026

  10. 2026-01-23 Tennessee General Assembly

    Meeting Canceled

  11. 2026-01-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 1/27/2026

  12. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action Def. in s/c Transportation Subcommittee to First Calendar of 2026

  13. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal Transportation Subcommittee for 3/11/2025

  14. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Transportation and Safety Committee

  15. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c Transportation Subcommittee

  16. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Transportation Committee

  17. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  18. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  19. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  20. 2025-01-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law authorizes an automated-driving-system
-operated vehicle
to
drive or operate on streets and highways in this state with the
automated-driving-system ("AD
S"),
engaged without a human driver physically present in the vehicle if the vehicle meets
certain conditions described in law.

This bill prohibits such an
ADS-operated vehicle used to transport property for hire or compensation in interstate commerce
or to transport passengers for hire or compensation
from
driv
ing
or operat
ing
on streets and highways in this state with the ADS engaged unles
s a human driver is in the driver's seat who (i) is monitoring performance of the vehicle at all times, (ii) can i
ntervene to exercise physical control of the vehicle, if necessary, and (iii) holds a valid driver license for the type or class of vehicle being driven and the vehicle meets the conditions of present law.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1168
By Vital

SENATE BILL 310
By Massey

SB0310
001698
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55
and Title 65, relative to autonomous vehicles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-30-103, is amended by deleting
the language "An ADS-operated vehicle may drive or operate on streets and highways in this
state with the ADS engaged without a human driver physically present" and substituting instead
the language "Except as provided in subsection (b), an ADS-operated vehicle may drive or
operate on streets and highways in this state with the ADS engaged without a human driver
physically present", and by designating the existing language as subsection (a) and adding the
following new subsection:
(b) An ADS-operated vehicle used to transport property for hire or compensation
in interstate commerce or to transport passengers for hire or compensation must not
drive or operate on streets and highways in this state with the ADS engaged unless:
(1) A human driver is in the driver's seat who:
(A) Is monitoring performance of the vehicle at all times;
(B) Can intervene to exercise physical control of the vehicle, if
necessary; and
(C) Holds a valid driver license for the type or class of vehicle
being driven; and
(2) The vehicle meets the conditions of subsection (a).
SECTION 2. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.