Autonomous Vehicles and Transportation Policy

The House Energy and Commerce Committee voted 12–11 to advance the SELF DRIVE Act, a bill by Rep. Bob Latta, R‑Ohio, that would create the first federal safety framework for autonomous vehicles and preempt emerging state‑level restrictions. The measure directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue AV safety standards by September 2027, establishes uniform federal definitions for levels of automated driving, and opens the door to limited testing of automated commercial vehicles. Supporters, including Tesla and Honda, argue a single national standard is needed as companies like Waymo, Uber and others deploy self‑driving fleets in cities such as Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco and Austin, and to keep U.S. firms competitive with China. Critics on and off Capitol Hill are already warning about federal preemption weakening local control and about safety gaps highlighted by recent AV incidents, setting up a broader fight as the bill heads toward possible House floor consideration. The push also reflects pressure on Congress to catch up with rapidly evolving AV deployments and a growing patchwork of state rules that industry says is untenable.