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 a 18
level three, four, or five automated driving system under the society 19
of automotive engineers international standard J3016B, as it existed 20
on the effective date of this section, or such subsequent date as may 21
S-0239.1
SENATE BILL 5042
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Lovick, Conway, Bateman, Holy, Hasegawa, Saldaña, Valdez,
Stanford, Nobles, Trudeau, and Cleveland
Prefiled 12/13/24.
p. 1 SB 5042
be provided by the department by rule, consistent with the purposes 1
of this section. 2
(b) "Human safety operator" means a person who controls the 3
entire dynamic driving task for an autonomous vehicle.4
Sec. 2. RCW 46.92.010 and 2021 c 193 s 1 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) In order to test an autonomous motor vehicle on any public 7
roadway under the department's autonomous vehicle self-certification 8
testing pilot program, the following information must be provided by 9
the self-certifying entity testing the autonomous motor vehicle:10
(a) Contact information specified by the department;11
(b) Local jurisdictions where testing is planned;12
(c) The vehicle identification numbers of the autonomous vehicles 13
being tested, provided that one is required by state or federal law; 14
and 15
(d) Proof of an insurance policy that meets the requirements of 16
RCW 46.30.050. 17
(2) Any autonomous motor vehicle to which subsection (1) of this 18
section is applicable and that does not have a vehicle identification 19
number and is not otherwise required under state or federal law to 20
have a vehicle identification number assigned to it must be assigned 21
a unique identification number that is provided to the department and 22
that is displayed in the vehicle in a manner similar to the display 23
of vehicle identification numbers in motor vehicles.24
(3)(a) The self-certifying entity testing the autonomous motor 25
vehicle on any public roadway must notify the department of:26
(i) Any collisions that are required to be reported to law 27
enforcement under RCW 46.52.030, involving an autonomous motor 28
vehicle during testing on any public roadway; and 29
(ii) Any moving violations, as defined in administrative rule as 30
authorized under RCW 46.20.2891, for which a citation or infraction 31
was issued, involving an autonomous motor vehicle during testing on 32
any public roadway. 33
(b) By February 1st of each year, the self-certifying entity must 34
submit a report to the department covering reportable events from the 35
prior calendar year. 36
(c) The self-certifying entity shall provide the information 37
required by the department under (a) of this subsection. The 38
information provided must include whether the autonomous driving 39
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system was operating the vehicle at the time of or immediately prior 1
to the collision or moving violation, and in the case of a collision, 2
details regarding the collision, including any loss of life, injury, 3
or property damage that resulted from the collision.4
(d) The provisions of this section are supplemental to all other 5
rights and duties under law applicable in the event of a motor 6
vehicle collision. 7
(4) The self-certifying entity testing the autonomous motor 8
vehicle on public roadways under the department's autonomous vehicle 9
self-certification testing pilot program must provide written notice 10
in advance of testing to local and state law enforcement agencies 11
with jurisdiction over any of the public roadways on which testing 12
will occur that includes the expected period of time during which 13
testing will occur in the applicable jurisdictions, including city 14
police departments within city limits where testing will occur, 15
county sheriff departments outside of city limits in counties where 16
testing will occur, and the Washington state patrol when testing will 17
occur on limited access highways, as defined in RCW 47.52.010. 18
However, for testing primarily on limited access highways that 19
travels through multiple local jurisdictions, which may include the 20
limited incidental use of other roadways, the self-certifying entity 21
must only provide written notice as specified in this subsection to 22
the Washington state patrol. Written notice provided under this 23
subsection must: (a) Be provided not less than ((fourteen)) 14 and 24
not more than ((sixty)) 60 days in advance of testing; (b) include 25
contact information where the law enforcement agency can communicate 26
with the self-certifying entity testing the autonomous vehicle 27
regarding the testing planned in that jurisdiction; and (c) provide 28
the physical description of the motor vehicle or vehicles being 29
tested, including make, model, color, and license plate number.30
(5) The department may adopt a fee to be charged by the 31
department for self-certification in an amount sufficient to offset 32
administration by the department of the self-certification testing 33
pilot program. 34
(6) The department shall provide public access to the information 35
self-certifying entities provide to it, and shall provide an annual 36
report to the house and senate transportation committees of the 37
legislature summarizing the information reported by self-certifying 38
entities under this section. 39
p. 3 SB 5042
(7) An autonomous motor vehicle may not be operated on any public 1
roadway for the purposes of testing in Washington state unless the 2
requirements under section 1 of this act are met and until the 3
department is provided with the information required under subsection 4
(1) of this section. 5
(8) For purposes of this section, "autonomous" means a level four 6
or five driving automation system as provided in the society of 7
automotive engineering international's standard J3016, as it existed 8
on October 1, 2022, or such subsequent date as may be provided by the 9
department by rule, consistent with the purposes of this section.10
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p. 4 SB 5042