05/08/2025 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

                   HB 217-AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:56:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that the  next order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 217,  "An Act regulating  autonomous vehicles;                                                               
and providing for an effective date."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:57:20 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MEREDITH  TRAINOR,  Staff,  Representative Ted  Eischeid,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,   on  behalf   of  the  sponsor,   the  House                                                               
Transportation  Standing   Committee,  of   which  Representative                                                               
Eischeid  co-chaired, gave  a  PowerPoint on  HB  217 [hard  copy                                                               
included in the  committee packet].  She stated that  HB 217 is a                                                               
companion  bill to  SB 148.   She  stated that  HB 217  would add                                                               
language  and  regulations  on   the  definition  of  "autonomous                                                               
vehicles" to statute  for the first time.  She  began on slide 2,                                                               
stating that  the proposed bill  would establish  requirements on                                                               
autonomous  vehicles used  for interstate  commerce, shipping  of                                                               
commercial goods, and  passenger transport.  For  these uses, she                                                               
stated  that  the proposed  legislation  would  require a  human-                                                               
safety  operator, who  meets federal  and state  requirements for                                                               
autonomous  and non-autonomous  operation.   She stated  that the                                                               
operator must  be present  in order  to operate  or turn  off the                                                               
vehicle.   She  added that  this would  not address  personal and                                                               
noncommercial purposes,  but these operators would  still need to                                                               
meet the same federal and state requirements.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  TRAINOR  stated that  the  proposed  legislation would  also                                                               
establish  guidelines   for  owner   and  user   liability,  with                                                               
allowances  for   accidents  caused   by  software   or  hardware                                                               
malfunctions.   She  stated  that the  proposed  bill also  would                                                               
establish   new  definitions   related   to  autonomous   vehicle                                                               
technology and functions, as seen on slide 3.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:59:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  EISCHEID questioned  whether  Ms. Trainor  has had  any                                                               
experience with a self-driving vehicle.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. TRAINOR responded  that while she was in a  Tesla, the driver                                                               
had  put  the  car  in  the self-driving  function  and  the  car                                                               
navigated a  roundabout.   In response  to a  follow-up question,                                                               
she  stated that  the car  had rubbed  against the  curb and  the                                                               
driving was imprecise.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  EISCHEID  expressed  the  importance  of  the  proposed                                                               
legislation,  as  it  would  require a  driver  onboard  to  take                                                               
control.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:01:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MCCABE  questioned  having   an  operator  in  an                                                               
autonomous  vehicle, as  it would  defeat the  purpose.   He also                                                               
questioned  the definition  of "interstate  commerce," concerning                                                               
the  difference with  "intrastate commerce."   He  opined whether                                                               
drone usage would be covered  under the proposed legislation.  He                                                               
pointed  out that  driving in  snowy conditions  could present  a                                                               
problem.    He surmised  that  a  presentation, possibly  from  a                                                               
manufacturer, would be helpful.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  CARRICK   expressed  agreement   on  the  need   for  a                                                               
presentation.    Concerning the  rapid  pace  of technology,  she                                                               
questioned the  development of autonomous vehicles  and whether a                                                               
driver would always be needed.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:04:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. TRAINOR responded by pointing  out the importance of defining                                                               
"autonomous vehicle"  in statute, as  there is no  definition for                                                               
this in  the motor  vehicle statute.   She  pointed out  that the                                                               
usage  of these  vehicles has  increased, and  this is  a concern                                                               
considering the importance of shipping  in the state.  She opined                                                               
that there  could be a  point in  the future when  a human-safety                                                               
operator would not be needed.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:05:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON  discussed her  son's Tesla, which  has the                                                               
capability to drive on its own.   She described her experience in                                                               
the car.  She  said, "It has done a fine  job of driving itself."                                                               
She added  that when she was  in the vehicle, her  son was there,                                                               
and this had made her more "comfortable."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:07:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR CARRICK  questioned whether other states  with this type                                                               
of legislation  would have requirements  for a driver's  level of                                                               
awareness.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS. TRAINOR expressed  uncertainty, and she offered  to follow up                                                               
with an answer.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:08:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE conjectured how  this would affect a charge                                                               
of driving under the influence.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:08:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. TRAINOR  stated that the  proposed bill would  require safety                                                               
operators to  meet federal and  state requirements  for operating                                                               
autonomous  and nonautonomous  vehicles, and  this would  cover a                                                               
driving under the influence charge.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
2:09:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MINA  noted  a  letter  in  opposition  from  the                                                               
Alliance for  Automotive Innovation, which concerned  the lack of                                                               
references  to  the  National Society  of  Automotive  Engineers'                                                               
(SAE's)  definitions.   She questioned  whether this  concern has                                                               
been raised.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS.  TRAINOR responded  that  she has  looked  at SAE  standards,                                                               
which define  incremental increases  in the level  of automation.                                                               
Except for the  letter in question, she stated there  has been no                                                               
other voiced  concerns about SAE  standards.  She  suggested that                                                               
this could be addressed in the future.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:10:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  CARRICK addressed  her  earlier  question concerning  a                                                               
driver's level  of awareness.  She  read from the section  of the                                                               
proposed   legislation   addressing   this  and   expressed   the                                                               
understanding  that an  operator would  need to  be as  alert and                                                               
aware as a person driving a nonelectric vehicle.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:11:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MINA pointed out  that the Alliance for Automotive                                                               
Innovation's letter  also expressed concern that  the presumption                                                               
of liability  would always  be on  the human-safety  operator, as                                                               
this  would not  be congruent  with other  legislation concerning                                                               
tort law.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MS. TRAINOR  responded that the  current version of  the proposed                                                               
legislation  gives the  primary responsibility  to the  operator,                                                               
and then it  progresses to the maker of the  vehicle through four                                                               
steps.  She  expressed the understanding that,  under normal tort                                                               
law, the  driver has the  initial liability, and then  any issues                                                               
with   the    manufacturing   of   the   vehicle    could   shift                                                               
responsibility.    She  suggested  that this  part  of  the  bill                                                               
language  could  be eliminated,  as  the  same parties  would  be                                                               
responsible in the  same order.  She opined that  this could be a                                                               
redundancy issue in the language of the proposed legislation.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
2:13:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR CARRICK announced that HB 217 was held over.