Autonomous vehicles

AN ACT Relating to vehicle and operator requirements for 1
autonomous vehicles; amending RCW 46.92.010; and adding a new section 2
to chapter 46.92 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 46.92 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
(1) An autonomous vehicle registered in this state must meet 7
federal standards and regulations for a motor vehicle.8
(2) A person may not operate an autonomous vehicle on a highway 9
to transport passengers or goods unless a human safety operator is 10
physically present in the autonomous vehicle to monitor the 11
performance of the autonomous vehicle and to intervene if necessary, 12
including operating, stopping, or shutting off the vehicle.13
(3) Any human safety operator physically present in an autonomous 14
vehicle must meet all state and federal requirements to operate a 15
motor vehicle and an autonomous vehicle. 16
(4) For purposes of this section: 17
(a) "Autonomous vehicle" means a motor vehicle equipped with an 18
automated driving feature that: 19
(i) Operates at level three, four, or five of driving automation 20
under SAE international standard J3016, as it existed on the 21
H-0192.3
HOUSE BILL 1984
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Kloba, Doglio, Taylor, Reed, Mena, Macri, Burnett,
Stonier, Goodman, Berry, Parshley, and Ramel
Read first time 02/17/25. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
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effective date of this section, or such subsequent date as may be 1
provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes of 2
this section; or 3
(ii) Is capable of both controlling steering on a sustained basis 4
and purposefully departing from the current lane of travel.5
(b) "Human safety operator" means a person who supervises the 6
operation of an autonomous vehicle and intervenes as necessary to 7
ensure safe operation. 8
Sec. 2. RCW 46.92.010 and 2021 c 193 s 1 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) In order to test an autonomous motor vehicle on any public 11
roadway under the department's autonomous vehicle self-certification 12
testing pilot program, the following information must be provided by 13
the self-certifying entity testing the autonomous motor vehicle:14
(a) Contact information specified by the department;15
(b) Local jurisdictions where testing is planned;16
(c) The vehicle identification numbers of the autonomous vehicles 17
being tested, provided that one is required by state or federal law; 18
and 19
(d) Proof of an insurance policy that meets the requirements of 20
RCW 46.30.050. 21
(2) Any autonomous motor vehicle to which subsection (1) of this 22
section is applicable and that does not have a vehicle identification 23
number and is not otherwise required under state or federal law to 24
have a vehicle identification number assigned to it must be assigned 25
a unique identification number that is provided to the department and 26
that is displayed in the vehicle in a manner similar to the display 27
of vehicle identification numbers in motor vehicles.28
(3)(a) The self-certifying entity testing the autonomous motor 29
vehicle on any public roadway must notify the department of:30
(i) Any collisions that are required to be reported to law 31
enforcement under RCW 46.52.030, involving an autonomous motor 32
vehicle during testing on any public roadway; and 33
(ii) Any moving violations, as defined in administrative rule as 34
authorized under RCW 46.20.2891, for which a citation or infraction 35
was issued, involving an autonomous motor vehicle during testing on 36
any public roadway. 37
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(b) By February 1st of each year, the self-certifying entity must 1
submit a report to the department covering reportable events from the 2
prior calendar year. 3
(c) The self-certifying entity shall provide the information 4
required by the department under (a) of this subsection. The 5
information provided must include whether the autonomous driving 6
system was operating the vehicle at the time of or immediately prior 7
to the collision or moving violation, and in the case of a collision, 8
details regarding the collision, including any loss of life, injury, 9
or property damage that resulted from the collision.10
(d) The provisions of this section are supplemental to all other 11
rights and duties under law applicable in the event of a motor 12
vehicle collision. 13
(4) The self-certifying entity testing the autonomous motor 14
vehicle on public roadways under the department's autonomous vehicle 15
self-certification testing pilot program must provide written notice 16
in advance of testing to local and state law enforcement agencies 17
with jurisdiction over any of the public roadways on which testing 18
will occur that includes the expected period of time during which 19
testing will occur in the applicable jurisdictions, including city 20
police departments within city limits where testing will occur, 21
county sheriff departments outside of city limits in counties where 22
testing will occur, and the Washington state patrol when testing will 23
occur on limited access highways, as defined in RCW 47.52.010. 24
However, for testing primarily on limited access highways that 25
travels through multiple local jurisdictions, which may include the 26
limited incidental use of other roadways, the self-certifying entity 27
must only provide written notice as specified in this subsection to 28
the Washington state patrol. Written notice provided under this 29
subsection must: (a) Be provided not less than ((fourteen)) 14 and 30
not more than ((sixty)) 60 days in advance of testing; (b) include 31
contact information where the law enforcement agency can communicate 32
with the self-certifying entity testing the autonomous vehicle 33
regarding the testing planned in that jurisdiction; and (c) provide 34
the physical description of the motor vehicle or vehicles being 35
tested, including make, model, color, and license plate number.36
(5) The department may adopt a fee to be charged by the 37
department for self-certification in an amount sufficient to offset 38
administration by the department of the self-certification testing 39
pilot program. 40
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(6) The department shall provide public access to the information 1
self-certifying entities provide to it, and shall provide an annual 2
report to the house and senate transportation committees of the 3
legislature summarizing the information reported by self-certifying 4
entities under this section. 5
(7) An autonomous motor vehicle may not be operated on any public 6
roadway for the purposes of testing in Washington state unless the 7
requirements under section 1 of this act are met and until the 8
department is provided with the information required under subsection 9
(1) of this section. 10
(8) For purposes of this section, (("autonomous" means a level 11
four)) an "autonomous vehicle" means a motor vehicle equipped with an 12
automated driving feature that:13
(a) Operates at level three, four, or five driving automation 14
((system as provided in the society of automotive engineering 15
international's)) under SAE international standard J3016, as it 16
existed on ((October 1, 2022)) the effective date of this section , or 17
such subsequent date as may be provided by the department by rule, 18
consistent with the purposes of this section; or19
(b) Is capable of both controlling steering on a sustained basis 20
and purposefully departing from the current lane of travel.21
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