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SB831: Bill Text
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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-4144/1
ZDW:emw
2025 SENATE BILL 831
January 15, 2026 - Introduced by Senator
Cabral-Guevara
, cosponsored by Representatives
Maxey
,
Gustafson
,
Kitchens
and
Murphy
. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
SB831,1,3
1
An Act
to create
15.465 (1), 340.01 (46m) (d) and 346.921 of the statutes;
2
relating to:
operation of autonomous vehicles on highways and providing a
3
penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates an Autonomous Driving Safety Board, attached to the Department of Transportation, that may authorize the operation of autonomous vehicles on specific highways in this state.
Under the bill, a person proposing to operate an autonomous vehicle in this state must submit an application for a permit to the board. If the board approves the permit, the permit holder may not operate an autonomous vehicle under the permit unless they 1) title and register with DOT each autonomous vehicle to be operated, 2) provide DOT with proof of financial responsibility for any damages, injury, or death caused by the operation of an autonomous vehicle, and 3) provide the board with information detailing how emergency services personnel should interact with autonomous vehicles for which the permit is issued. A permit holder may operate autonomous vehicles only on highways approved by the board.
The bill provides that the board may temporarily suspend a permit if the board determines that the operation of an autonomous vehicle is an unreasonable risk to public safety. The board must then conduct a hearing to determine if the permit should be suspended or revoked, based on a determination that a permit condition has been violated or that continued operation of autonomous vehicles under the permit would be an unreasonable risk to public safety.
The bill requires a permit holder to annually submit to the board a report summarizing results and observations related to safety, traffic operations, interaction with roadway infrastructure, comments from the public, and other information the permit holder deems relevant.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB831,1
1
Section
1
.
15.465 (1) of the statutes is created to read:
SB831,2,4
2
15.465
(1)
Autonomous driving safety board.
There is created in the
3
department of transportation an autonomous driving safety board. The board shall
4
consist of the following 6 members, who shall serve 3-year terms:
SB831,2,5
5
(a) One member appointed by the speaker of the assembly.
SB831,2,6
6
(b) One member appointed by the majority leader of the senate.
SB831,2,7
7
(c) One member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
SB831,2,8
8
(d) One member appointed by the minority leader of the senate.
SB831,2,10
9
(e) One member, appointed by the governor, who is an employee of the
10
department of transportation.
SB831,2,12
11
(f) One member, appointed by the governor, who is an employee of the state
12
traffic patrol.
SB831,2
13
Section
2
.
340.01 (46m) (d) of the statutes is created to read:
SB831,2,15
14
340.01
(46m)
(d) If the person is operating an autonomous vehicle, as defined
15
in s. 346.921 (1) (b), an alcohol concentration of more than 0.02.
SB831,3
16
Section
3
.
346.921 of the statutes is created to read:
SB831,2,18
17
346.921
Operation of autonomous vehicles on highways.
(1)
18
Definitions.
SB831,3,4
1
(a) “Automated driving system” means hardware and software that, when
2
installed and engaged, are capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task
3
on highways on a sustained basis, regardless of whether the automated driving
4
system is limited to a specific operational design domain.
SB831,3,6
5
(b) “Autonomous vehicle” means a motor vehicle equipped with a Level 4
6
automated driving system or a Level 5 automated driving system.
SB831,3,7
7
(c) “Board” means the autonomous driving safety board.
SB831,3,10
8
(d) “Level 4 automated driving system” means an automated driving system
9
with a standard of automation that meets the criteria for Level 4 specified in SAE
10
International Standard J3016_202104.
SB831,3,13
11
(e) “Level 5 automated driving system” means an automated driving system
12
with a standard of automation that meets the criteria for Level 5 specified in SAE
13
International Standard J3016_202104.
SB831,3,16
14
(f) “Minimal risk condition” means a stable and stopped condition to which an
15
individual or automated driving system may bring an autonomous vehicle to reduce
16
the risk of a collision when operation should not or may not be continued.
SB831,3,17
17
(g) “Municipality” means a county, city, village, or town.
SB831,3,21
18
(h) “Operational design domain” means the operating conditions under which
19
an automated driving system or feature of the automated driving system is
20
specifically designed to function, including geographical and environmental
21
conditions and time-of-day restrictions.
SB831,3,23
22
(i) “Permit” means a permit issued by the board to an applicant under sub. (2)
23
(d).
SB831,4,2
24
(j) “Permit holder” means a person granted authorization by the board under
1
sub. (2) (d) to operate autonomous vehicles on highways in this state, including to
2
transport passengers for hire, as provided in this section.
SB831,4,4
3
(2)
Permit required.
(a) No person may operate an autonomous vehicle on
4
a highway in this state unless all of the following apply:
SB831,4,5
5
1. The board has issued a permit for the operation under par. (d).
SB831,4,7
6
2. The board has approved the highway for autonomous vehicle operation
7
under sub. (3).
SB831,4,11
8
(b) Prior to operating an autonomous vehicle on a highway in this state, a
9
person shall submit an application for a permit to the board that defines the initial
10
operational design domain for their operations and certifies to the board that the
11
autonomous vehicle is capable of achieving a minimal risk condition.
SB831,4,14
12
(c) Upon receipt of an application under par. (b), the board shall schedule a
13
public hearing. No less than 60 days prior to the public hearing, the board shall
14
provide notice of the hearing.
SB831,4,21
15
(d) No later than 30 days following the public hearing under par. (c), the board
16
shall approve or deny an application submitted under par. (b). A two-thirds vote of
17
the board is required to approve any application. If the board approves an
18
application, the board shall issue a permit to the applicant. The board shall provide
19
notice of each permit it grants to the board of supervisors and county law
20
enforcement agency in each county where operation of autonomous vehicles is
21
authorized.
SB831,5,2
22
(e) Any changes to a permit, including changes to the operational design
23
domain, shall be submitted to the board. The board shall provide notice of any
1
changes to a permit to the board of supervisors and county law enforcement agency
2
in each county where operation of autonomous vehicles is authorized.
SB831,5,4
3
(f) Only the board may approve permit applications, and no municipality may
4
require any additional approval for operation of an autonomous vehicle.
SB831,5,6
5
(3)
Approval of highways required.
(a) Subject to par. (b), the board may
6
approve operation under sub. (2) (d) on any highway located in this state.
SB831,5,8
7
(b) The board may not approve operation of an autonomous vehicle on any
8
highway that is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways.
SB831,5,10
9
(4)
Permitted activities.
(a) A permit holder may not operate an
10
autonomous vehicle on any highway in this state unless all of the following apply:
SB831,5,12
11
1. The permit holder titles and registers with the department each
12
autonomous vehicle to be operated.
SB831,5,15
13
2. The permit holder provides the department proof of financial responsibility
14
as provided under s. 344.29 or 344.62 for any damages, injury, or death caused by
15
the operation of an autonomous vehicle.
SB831,5,18
16
3. The permit holder provides the board with information detailing how a
17
person providing law enforcement, firefighting, or emergency medical services
18
should interact with autonomous vehicles for which the permit is issued.
SB831,5,21
19
(b) A permit holder may operate an autonomous vehicle with the automated
20
driving system engaged, including to transport passengers for hire, regardless of
21
whether a human driver is physically present in the autonomous vehicle.
SB831,6,3
22
(5)
Suspension and revocation of permits.
(a) If the board determines
23
that the operation of an autonomous vehicle is an unreasonable risk to public safety,
24
the board may temporarily suspend the permit authorizing operation of the
1
autonomous vehicle. The board shall report the suspension to the permit holder,
2
which may not operate an autonomous vehicle under the permit until the board
3
makes a determination under par. (b).
SB831,6,11
4
(b) If the board determines that there is evidence that a permit should be
5
suspended or revoked, the board shall schedule a hearing and notify the permit
6
holder of the hearing. Following the hearing, the board may suspend or revoke a
7
permit if the board determines that there is a violation of any condition specified in
8
the permit or that the continued operation of autonomous vehicles under the permit
9
would be an unreasonable risk to public safety. If the board determines that there
10
is not cause to suspend or revoke the permit, the permit holder may immediately
11
resume operations under the permit.
SB831,6,15
12
(6)
Reporting.
A permit holder shall annually submit to the board a report
13
summarizing results and observations related to safety, traffic operations,
14
interaction with roadway infrastructure, comments from the public, and any other
15
matters the permit holder determines are relevant.
SB831,6,18
16
(7)
Penalty.
Any person operating an autonomous vehicle without a valid
17
permit that has not been suspended or revoked may be required to forfeit not more
18
than $1,000.
SB831,4
19
Section
4
. Nonstatutory provisions.
SB831,6,22
20
(
1
)
Autonomous driving safety board.
Notwithstanding the length of
21
terms specified in s. 15.465 (1), the initial terms of the members of the autonomous
22
driving safety board appointed under s. 15.465 (1) (a) to (f) expire on May 1, 2029.
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