Schakowsky Statement on Markup of Highly Automated Vehicle Testing and Deployment Act

Today, Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky released the following statement after the subcommittee markup of the Highly Automated Vehicle Testing and Deployment Act:

“The legislation coming out of today’s subcommittee markup is the product of bipartisan negotiations on a critical issue. I am grateful to Chairman Latta and both of our staffs for the hard work and good faith that went into the drafting and negotiation of the legislation.

“As I mentioned during this morning’s markup, this bill is not a final product. There are issues that remain to be resolved, but I am hopeful that we will reach a bipartisan agreement before the bill is marked up in the full committee. Before I can support the final legislation, we must resolve important issues relating to the preemption of state laws and exemptions from existing safety standards. During negotiations, my first priority has been and will continue to be to ensure that strong safety provisions are included in the legislation.

“Some important provisions that are already in this draft include requiring automakers to have cybersecurity plans, ensuring that autonomous vehicle manufacturers submit safety assessment certifications, and asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to write new safety standards and update their existing safety standards. In this draft, we also took the opportunity to include safety improvements that go beyond autonomous vehicles. I’m especially proud that we were able to include language from my HOT CARS Act, which would take long-overdue action to prevent the tragic heatstroke deaths of children. I look forward to continuing to work on this critical legislation.”