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118
17B-2a-829
41-26-102.1
63I-2-217
63I-2-272
72-1-219
0
Autonomous Vehicle Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Matt MacPherson
Senate Sponsor: Kirk A. Cullimore
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies provisions related to autonomous vehicles and directs a large public
transit district and the Department of Transportation to request information related to
autonomous vehicles.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
defines terms;
provides and updates definitions related to automated driving systems, connected vehicle
technology, and driverless operation;
directs a large public transit district to request information related to implementing an
autonomous vehicle public transit network;
directs the Department of Transportation to request information related to autonomous
vehicles; and
makes technical changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
41-26-102.1
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 134
63I-2-217
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 7
63I-2-272
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 277
ENACTS:
17B-2a-829
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
72-1-219
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
17B-2a-829
is enacted to read:
17B-2a-829
. Information on autonomous vehicle transit.
(1)
A large public transit district shall complete a request for information in accordance
with Section
63G-6a-409
to gather information regarding a large scale implementation
of an autonomous vehicle network for public transit.
(2)
A large public transit district shall coordinate the request for information described in
Subsection
(1)
with relevant stakeholders.
(3)
The request for information described in Subsection
(1)
shall include inquiries
addressing:
(a)
autonomous vehicle technology;
(b)
timelines and feasibility for implementation of an autonomous vehicle public transit
network;
(c)
financial implications;
(d)
benefits and drawbacks of different strategies; and
(e)
other considerations relevant to autonomous vehicle public transit.
(4)
On or before November 30, 2026, a large public transit district shall report to the
Transportation Interim Committee regarding the information gathered under this section.
Section 2. Section
41-26-102.1
is amended to read:
41-26-102.1
. Definitions.
As used in this chapter:
(1)
"ADS-dedicated vehicle" means a vehicle
:
(a)
designed to be operated
exclusively
by a level four
ADS
or
level
five ADS for all
trips within the given operational design domain limitations of the ADS, if any
.
; and
(b)
that conforms to all applicable U.S. federal motor vehicle safety, bumper, and theft
prevention standards in effect on the date of the vehicle's manufacture.
(2)
"ADS-equipped vehicle" means a vehicle with a level three, level four, or level five
ADS that is designed for:
(a)
complete trips in driverless operation under routine or normal operating conditions
within the vehicle's operation design domain; or
(b)
operation by an in-vehicle driver.
(2)
(3)
(a)
"Automated driving system" or "ADS" means the hardware and software that
are
:
(i)
collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained
basis, regardless of whether the ADS is limited to a specific operational design
domain, if any
.
; and
(ii)
conforming to all applicable U.S. federal motor vehicle safety, bumper, and theft
prevention standards in effect on the date of the vehicle's manufacture.
(b)
"Automated driving system" or "ADS" is used specifically to describe a level three,
four, or five driving automation system.
(3)
(4)
"Commission" means the State Tax Commission as defined in Section
59-1-101
.
(4)
(5)
"Conventional driver" means a human driver who is onboard the motor vehicle and
manually performs some or all of the following actions in order to operate a vehicle:
(a)
braking;
(b)
accelerating;
(c)
steering; and
(d)
transmission gear selection input devices.
(5)
(6)
(a)
"Dispatch" means to place an ADS-equipped vehicle into service in driverless
operation by engaging the ADS.
(b)
"Dispatch" includes software-enabled dispatch of multiple ADS-equipped motor
vehicles in driverless operation that may complete multiple trips involving pick-up
and drop-off of passengers or goods throughout a day or other pre-defined periods of
service, and which may involve multiple agents performing various tasks related to
the dispatch function.
(6)
(7)
"Division" means the Motor Vehicle Division of the commission, created in
Section
41-1a-106
.
(7)
(8)
"Driverless operation" means the operation of an ADS-equipped vehicle in which:
(a)
no on-board user is present; or
(b)
no on-board user is a human driver with a valid driver license or fallback-ready user.
(8)
(9)
"Driverless operation dispatcher" means a user who dispatches an ADS-equipped
vehicle in driverless operation.
(9)
(10)
"Driving automation system" means the hardware and software collectively
capable of performing part or all of the dynamic driving task on a sustained basis.
(10)
(11)
"Driving automation system feature" means a specific function of a driving
automation system.
(11)
(12)
(a)
"Dynamic driving task" means all of the real-time operational and tactical
functions required to operate a motor vehicle in on-road traffic, including:
(i)
lateral vehicle motion control through steering;
(ii)
longitudinal motion control through acceleration and deceleration;
(iii)
monitoring the driving environment through object and event detection,
recognition, classification, and response preparation;
(iv)
object and event response execution;
(v)
maneuver planning; and
(vi)
enhancing conspicuity with lighting, signaling, and gesturing.
(b)
"Dynamic driving task" does not include strategic functions such as trip scheduling
and selection of destinations and waypoints.
(12)
(13)
"Engage" as it pertains to the operation of a vehicle by a driving automation
system means to cause a driving automation system feature to perform part or all of the
dynamic driving task on a sustained basis.
(13)
(14)
"External event" is a situation in the driving environment that necessitates a
response by a human driver with a valid driver license or driving automation system.
(14)
(15)
"Fallback-ready user" means the user of a vehicle equipped with an engaged
level three ADS who is:
(a)
a human driver with a valid driver license; and
(b)
ready to operate the vehicle if:
(i)
a system failure occurs; or
(ii)
the ADS issues a request to intervene.
(15)
(16)
(a)
"Human driver" means a natural person who performs in real-time all or
part of the dynamic driving task.
(b)
"Human driver" includes a:
(i)
conventional driver; and
(ii)
remote driver.
(16)
"Level five automated driving system" or "level five ADS" means an ADS feature
that has the capability to perform on a sustained basis the entire dynamic driving task
under all conditions that can reasonably be managed by a human driver, as well as any
maneuvers necessary to respond to a system failure, without any expectation that a
human user will respond to a request to intervene.
(17)
"Level four automated driving system" or "level four ADS" means an ADS feature
that, without any expectation that a human user will respond to a request to intervene,
has:
(a)
the capability to perform on a sustained basis the entire dynamic driving task within
its operational design domain; and
(b)
the capability to perform any maneuvers necessary to achieve a minimal risk
condition in response to:
(i)
an exit from the operational design domain of the ADS; or
(ii)
a system failure.
(18)
"Level three automated driving system" or "level three ADS" means an ADS feature
that:
(a)
has the capability to perform on a sustained basis the entire dynamic driving task
within its operational design domain; and
(b)
requires a fallback-ready user to operate the vehicle after receiving a request to
intervene or in response to a system failure.
(17)
"Level five ADS" means a level five automated driving system as defined in SAE
International Standard J3016_202104, "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to
Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles," April 2021 edition, as
adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(18)
"Level four ADS" means a level four automated driving system as defined in SAE
International Standard J3016_202104, "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to
Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles," April 2021 edition, as
adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(19)
"Level three ADS" means a level three automated driving system as defined in SAE
International Standard J3016_202104, "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to
Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles," April 2021 edition, as
adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(20)
"Level two DAS" means a level two driving automation system as defined in SAE
International Standard J3016_202104, "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to
Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles," April 2021 edition, as
adopted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(19)
(21)
"Minimal risk condition" means a condition to which a user or an ADS may
bring a motor vehicle in order to reduce the risk of a crash when a given trip cannot or
should not be completed.
(20)
(22)
"Object and event detection and response" means the subtasks of the dynamic
driving task that include:
(a)
monitoring the driving environment; and
(b)
executing an appropriate response in order to perform the dynamic driving task.
(21)
(23)
"On-demand autonomous vehicle network" means a transportation service
network that uses a software application or other digital means to dispatch or otherwise
enable the prearrangement of transportation with motor vehicles that have a level four or
five ADS in driverless operation for purposes of transporting persons, including for-hire
transportation and transportation for compensation.
(22)
(24)
"Operate" means the same as that term is defined in Section
41-1a-102
.
(23)
(25)
"Operational design domain" means the operating conditions under which a
given ADS or feature thereof is specifically designed to function, including:
(a)
speed range, environmental, geographical, and time-of-day restrictions; or
(b)
the requisite presence or absence of certain traffic or roadway characteristics.
(24)
(26)
"Operator" means the same as that term is defined in Section
41-6a-102
.
(25)
(27)
"Passenger" means a user on board a vehicle who has no role in the operation of
that vehicle.
(26)
(28)
"Person" means the same as that term is defined in Section
41-6a-102
.
(27)
(29)
"Remote driver" means a human driver with a valid driver license who is not
located in a position to manually exercise in-vehicle braking, accelerating, steering, or
transmission gear selection input devices, but operates the vehicle.
(28)
(30)
"Request to intervene" means the notification by an ADS to a fallback-ready user
indicating that the fallback-ready user should promptly begin or resume operation of the
vehicle.
(29)
(31)
"Sustained operation of a motor vehicle" means the performance of part or all of
the dynamic driving task both between and across external events, including response to
external events and continued performance of part or all of the dynamic driving task in
the absence of external events.
(30)
(32)
"System failure" means a malfunction in a driving automation system or other
vehicle system that prevents the ADS from reliably performing the portion of the
dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, including the complete dynamic driving task
,
that the ADS would otherwise perform
.
(31)
(33)
"User" means a:
(a)
human driver;
(b)
passenger;
(c)
fallback-ready user; or
(d)
driverless operation dispatcher.
Section 3. Section
63I-2-217
is amended to read:
63I-2-217
. Repeal dates: Titles 17 through 17D.
(1)
Subsection
17-79-804(4)(c)
, regarding an inspection fee on a qualified water
conservancy district, is repealed July 1, 2026.
(2)
Subsection
17-62-102(3)
, regarding the process for changing a form of county
government, is repealed January 1, 2028.
(3)
Subsections
17-62-203(10)
through
(12)
, regarding the process to create a districting
commission and implementing a district map, are repealed July 1, 2029.
(4)
Section
17B-2a-829
, regarding a request for information on autonomous vehicles, is
repealed July 1, 2027.
Section 4. Section
63I-2-272
is amended to read:
63I-2-272
. Repeal dates: Title 72.
(1)
Subsection
72-1-213.1(13)
, regarding the road usage charge rate and road usage charge
cap, is repealed January 1, 2033.
(2)
Subsection
72-1-219
, regarding a request for information with autonomous vehicles, is
repealed July 1, 2028.
Section 5. Section
72-1-219
is enacted to read:
72-1-219
. Information for autonomous vehicles.
(1)
The department shall complete a request for information in accordance with Section
63G-6a-409
to gather information regarding:
(a)
large scale autonomous vehicle operation in the state; and
(b)
safety considerations with the operation of autonomous vehicles.
(2)
The department shall coordinate the request for information with stakeholders the
department determines are relevant.
(3)
The request for information shall address:
(a)
ways the state can encourage and facilitate the private sector to establish more
autonomous vehicle services in the state in advance of the 2034 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games;
(b)
the potential of autonomous vehicle technology to positively impact the overall
safety of traveling on state highways; and
(c)
identification of barriers that are impeding or may potentially impede the
establishment of autonomous vehicle services and business activities such as issues
related to insurance and liability, vehicle registration and identification, and public
safety.
(4)
On or before November 30, 2027, the department shall report to the Transportation
Interim Committee regarding the information gathered under this section.
Section 6.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
3-3-26 9:39 AM