Colorado Senate Passes Autonomous Vehicle Bill
The Colorado Senate has passed a bill establishing a general framework for autonomous vehicle regulation. The draft legislation, Senate Bill 213, requires driverless vehicles to be “capable of complying with every state and federal law” applicable to the vehicle. Non-compliant vehicles must coordinate testing with the Colorado Department of Transportation and State Patrol. Opponents of the bill criticized it as lightweight, as there are currently no state and federal laws in existence to which the driverless vehicle must comply. They also note the omission of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) safety guidelines in the bill as disappointing. Proponents of the bill argue the draft legislation is intentionally basic, and that it is intended to symbolize Colorado’s interest in serving as an autonomous vehicle testing ground. The House will now take up the bill.
