California Bill Allowing Local Regulation of Driverless Cars Is Amended, Then Shelved

The amendments stripped out language empowering local governments to say how, when, and where autonomous vehicles can operate.
California Bill Allowing Local Regulation of Driverless Cars Is Amended, Then Shelved
A Waymo autonomous vehicle on Market Street in San Francisco on Nov. 17, 2023. Jason Henry/AFP via Getty Images
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Local governments in California would lose their chance to have a say in how autonomous vehicle (AV) companies operate in their communities after recent amendments to a bill by the Assembly Transportation Committee.

Senate Bill 915, authored by Sen. Dave Cortese, a San Jose-based Democrat, would have allowed such governments to regulate how, when, or where AVs can operate to address public safety concerns that have arisen since their recent launch.