Reducing regulatory obstacles to safe integration of automated driving systems-equipped commercial motor vehicles

(a) Streamlining regulations Not later than September 30, 2027, the Secretary of Transportation shall address the applicability of sections 350 through 399 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations to ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles based on the advance notice of proposed rulemaking published on May 28, 2019 (84 Fed. Reg. 24449) that— (1) amends such sections to provide for the integration of automated driving systems into commercial vehicle operations, including updating any such sections that reasonably apply only to a human driver to clarify such regulations do not apply to an ADS or to an ADS-equipped vehicles operating with an ADS engaged and without a human driver on board, including hours of service, drug testing, electronic logging devices, commercial driver’s license, and physical qualification requirements; and (2) define the terms remote driver and remote assistance as follows: (A) The term remote driver means a driver who is not seated in a position to manually exercise in-vehicle braking, accelerating, steering, and transmission gear selection input devices (if any), but is able to operate the vehicle. (B) The term remote assistance means event-driven provision, by a remotely located human, of information or advice to an AD2202S-equipped vehicle in driverless operation in order to facilitate trip continuation when the automated driving system encounters a situation where remote assistance could provide clarity. (b) Ensuring regulatory parity for commercial motor vehicles The Secretary may not issue a regulation that unduly burdens motor carriers operating ADS-equipped vehicles or discriminates against an ADS-equipped vehicle relative to other commercial motor vehicles. (c) Ensuring regulatory flexibility for safety technologies Section 31113 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and (2) by inserting the following after subsection (b): (c) Exclusion of automated driving technologies and equipment Width calculated under this section does not include automated driving system technologies or equipment.. (d) Definitions The terms defined in section 31132 of title 49, United States Code, apply to this section.