Autonomous vehicles.

The bill now amends existing Vehicle Code Section 38751 with a temporary version (operative July 1, 2026, repealed January 1, 2029) and adds a permanent replacement section, instead of creating a standalone new chapter. The new provisions are also renumbered from Chapter 2 to Chapter 3 of Division 16.6.

Exemption for heavy commercial motor vehicles: the two-way voice communication and override system training requirements do not apply to commercial motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, except passenger transportation vehicles. DMV may establish additional requirements by regulation in consultation with CHP.

New emergency geofencing message system: emergency response officials may issue messages directing autonomous vehicle fleets to leave or avoid an area due to an emergency. Manufacturers must respond within 2 minutes and must provide all necessary information within 30 business days of a request to begin issuing such messages.

30-second response time mandates: manufacturers must ensure dedicated emergency phone lines are answered within 30 seconds by a remote human operator with situational awareness, and two-way voice communication devices must connect an emergency response official to a remote operator within 30 seconds.

Communications capacity requirement: manufacturers must maintain communications capacity (reserved or contractually assured) sufficient to support the maximum number of concurrent remote assistance or teleoperation sessions identified through operational design, hazard analysis, and capacity planning.

The 5-minute (driveable) and 30-minute (towing required) obstruction clearance deadlines for commercial autonomous vehicles blocking travel lanes, crosswalks, intersections, and other areas are removed from the bill.

Data reporting changes: instead of monthly summary statistics on manual control incidents, manufacturers must now maintain data on response times, fleetwide emergencies, immobilizations, obstructions, accidents, and emergency response official requests, provide this data to DMV and PUC quarterly, and DMV must publish summary statistics on its website. DMV is also authorized to share records with PUC.

Permit renewal compliance gate: DMV shall not renew, reinstate, or approve an expansion of a permit's operational design domain unless the manufacturer certifies full compliance with the emergency response requirements in subdivision (b).

The requirement that the California Highway Patrol approve manual override systems is removed. Only POST retains a role in developing training guidelines and imposing fees.

The definition of 'emergency response official' is expanded to include traffic control, traffic enforcement, and parking enforcement personnel from a public agency in an applicable jurisdiction, beyond the prior scope of dispatchers, peace officers, and first responders.

Penal Code section renumbered from 13519.16 to 13519.18 for the law enforcement training provisions, with 13519.16 left as an empty placeholder. The training scope is narrowed to 'commercial autonomous vehicles operating as commercial vehicles pursuant to Section 260 of the Vehicle Code.'

The deadline for DMV to adopt response time guidelines changes from 'by no later than January 1, 2028' (regulations) to 'on or before July 1, 2028' (guidelines). The overall operative date for the new provisions is set at July 1, 2028.

Remote assistants, remote drivers, and local incident technicians may now hold a valid driver's license from any state or territory of the United States, not just California. This broadens who can serve in these roles.

Remote assistants are removed from the requirement to register with the Employer Pull Notice Program. Only remote drivers and local incident technicians must now register.

New definition of 'fleetwide emergency or system failure' added, covering events that simultaneously affect multiple vehicles under the same software, communications, navigation, or operational system regardless of geographic location.

In a fleetwide emergency or system failure, manufacturers must immediately notify affected local jurisdictions including emergency dispatch of fleet location and status, and deploy local incident technicians when affected vehicles cannot be remotely recovered and create a traffic hazard or impede emergency response.

The manual override system requirement is now limited to vehicles equipped with controls that allow someone physically present to drive. The old requirement for an emergency steering wheel to manually steer and brake is removed; the new system only requires the ability to disable the vehicle, place it in neutral, and turn it off.

For commercial autonomous vehicles NOT equipped with manual driving controls, manufacturers must ensure remote assistants or remote drivers can place the vehicle in neutral, cause it to move as directed by an emergency response official, or turn it off and keep it stationary until otherwise directed.

The specific requirement that local incident technicians be present at the scene within 20 minutes no less than 90% of the time is removed. Replaced with a requirement for DMV to adopt guidelines establishing reasonable response times by January 1, 2028.

Violations are now enforceable through civil actions brought by city attorneys or county counsel on behalf of local jurisdictions, with courts able to impose civil penalties payable to the bringing jurisdiction. The old version referenced 'civil penalties and administrative actions' without specifying a local enforcement mechanism.

The California Highway Patrol's role in developing and approving training guidelines is removed; only POST (Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training) retains that responsibility.

The term 'autonomous vehicle operator manufacturer' is replaced throughout with the simpler 'autonomous vehicle manufacturer.'

New Penal Code Section 13519.16 requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to implement voluntary training courses for law enforcement officers on commercial autonomous vehicles related to public safety, and to develop uniform minimum guidelines for voluntary use by California law enforcement agencies.

Throughout the bill, 'autonomous vehicle operator' is replaced with 'autonomous vehicle operator manufacturer,' shifting compliance obligations (emergency response procedures, manual override training, data reporting) from operators to manufacturers.

The ratio of remote assistants or remote drivers to autonomous passenger service vehicles was relaxed from 1 to 3 to 1 to 5, meaning each remote operator may now oversee up to 5 vehicles instead of 3.

The manual override system requirement was expanded to include the ability to safely disable the vehicle, place it in neutral gear for relocation, and turn off the vehicle, in addition to the existing steering, braking, and relocation capabilities.

The specific 10-minute on-scene arrival requirement for local incident technicians was removed and replaced with a requirement that they be 'immediately dispatched,' with actual maximum response times to be set by DMV regulation by January 2028.

Emergency response procedures must now include immediate notification to emergency dispatchers and local 911 operators of autonomous vehicle immobilizations, obstructions, and accidents involving damage to persons or property.

The CHP registration process for entities contracting with autonomous vehicle operators to provide local incident technician services (former Section 38805(a)) was removed. Local incident technicians are now simply employees of the operator manufacturer or a contracted entity, without a separate registration requirement.

A new provision allows an emergency response official who determines that a remote driver or remote assistant is unable to reasonably address a request to directly request dispatch of a local incident technician, with the manufacturer required to immediately comply.

POST (Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training) is added alongside CHP as a co-regulator responsible for developing uniform guidelines and approving training and written guidance for manual override systems, with both agencies authorized to impose fees covering reasonable regulatory costs.

A new defined term 'emergency response official' is added, covering emergency dispatchers, first responders, peace officers, and traffic control, traffic enforcement, and parking enforcement personnel from public agencies. This broader term replaces 'first responder' in many provisions.

The definition of 'remote assistant' was expanded to specify three conditions: not in the driver's seat, able to provide information or advice to facilitate trip continuation or alert the system to fall back to minimal risk condition (but not including remote driving), and able to provide revised goals or tasks.

The definition of 'remote driver' was expanded to specifically include 'real-time performance of part or all of the dynamic driving task fallback, including real-time braking, steering, acceleration, and transmission shifting.'

The Department of Motor Vehicles is now required to adopt regulations establishing maximum response times for local incident technicians to be present at the scene by no later than January 1, 2028.

The ratio of remote assistants or remote drivers to autonomous passenger service vehicles was changed from one-to-three (1:3) to one-to-five (1:5), allowing operators to monitor up to five vehicles per remote operator instead of three.

Local incident technician response requirements were restructured. The previous flat requirement to be on scene within 10 minutes was replaced with two new obligations: (1) technicians must be immediately dispatched upon notification of an accident involving damage to persons or property, or upon receiving a request from a first responder or 911 dispatch center; and (2) technicians must be present at the scene within 20 minutes no less than 90% of the time.

The definition of 'local incident technician' was modified to specify that contractors providing local incident technician services must employ 50 or more local incident technicians, adding a minimum size threshold for qualifying contractor entities.

References to the 'Office of the California Highway Patrol' were updated to 'Department of the California Highway Patrol' throughout the bill, reflecting CHP's organizational restructure. Fee language was also changed from covering 'costs associated with administering these provisions' to covering 'reasonable regulatory costs.'

The bill's operative language was corrected from 'amend Section 38750 of add the heading' to simply 'add the heading,' fixing a drafting error in the section that introduces the new chapter structure.

Entirely new Chapter 2 (Sections 38800-38807) added to Division 16.6 of the Vehicle Code, creating a comprehensive regulatory framework for commercial autonomous vehicle operations that did not exist in the introduced version.

New legislative findings section establishing policy rationale including concerns about corporate noncompliance, vehicle immobilizations, first responder interference, worker displacement, safety data disclosure, and the need for US-based human supervision to mitigate communication latency risks.

Remote assistants, remote drivers, and local incident technicians must be physically located within the United States and hold a valid California driver's license of the appropriate class with required endorsements.

Local incident technicians must be able to respond and be present on scene within 10 minutes of an accident involving damage to persons or property or a request from a first responder.

Commercial autonomous vehicles obstructing travel lanes, intersections, crosswalks, transit lanes, bicycle lanes, freight corridors, emergency access routes, disabled parking spaces, or fire hydrants must be relocated within 5 minutes if driveable or 30 minutes if towing is required.

All commercial autonomous vehicles operated without a human driver on a highway must be equipped with a manual override system allowing local incident technicians, first responders, and tow operators to access an emergency steering wheel and manually steer, brake, and relocate the vehicle.

Autonomous vehicle operators must maintain records on staffing, compliance, incidents, and response times, provide this data to DMV and PUC upon request, and publish monthly summary statistics (anonymized) on both agencies' websites.

Sensor data recording requirement changed from at least 30 seconds before a collision to at least 45 seconds before and 45 seconds after (whenever feasible) a collision.

For autonomous passenger service vehicles, the ratio of remote assistants or remote drivers to operating vehicles must be at least 1 to 3 at all times.

CHP establishes a registration process for entities providing local incident technician services (must employ 50 or more technicians), develops uniform guidelines with the State Fire Marshal, and approves all manual override systems and training. CHP may charge fees to cover administrative costs.

Violations are civil, not criminal. Penalties include $5,000 per violation of staffing/location requirements, $1,000 for obstruction over 5 minutes, $5,000 for obstruction over 30 minutes, and $10,000 for obstruction during emergency operations. Three or more violations can trigger suspension, revocation, or modification of deployment permits including fleet size reduction.

DMV public hearings on regulations for driverless autonomous vehicles may now be conducted both online and in person, rather than only in person.