Autonomous vehicles: freight vehicles.

Existing law authorizes the operation of an autonomous vehicle, as defined, on public roads for testing purposes by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle being operated if specified requirements are satisfied. Existing law prohibits an autonomous vehicle from being operated on public roads until the manufacturer, as defined, submits an application to the Department of Motor Vehicles, as specified, and that application is approved. Existing law requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to adopt regulations no later than January 1, 2015, setting forth requirements for the submission of evidence of insurance, surety bond, or self-insurance, and for the submission and approval of an application to operate an autonomous vehicle. Under existing law, a violation of the Vehicle Code is an infraction, unless otherwise specified. This bill would require the department, on or before September 30, 2018, to adopt regulations setting forth standards for the testing of autonomous vehicles used to transport freight and, in the development of those regulations, to consult with the Department of Transportation and the Department of the California Highway Patrol on related topics, including appropriate routes for autonomous vehicles used to transport freight and compliance with state and federal requirements for commercial drivers. The bill would require an autonomous vehicle used to transport freight to have an operator in the driver's seat at all times while being operated and would subject the operator to specified requirements relating to the maximum hours a driver is permitted to drive in a work period. By establishing provisions of law, the violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.