What's happening
This bill defines autonomous vehicles and technology, and authorizes their operation by licensed drivers and supervised learners on public highways.
Why it matters
Establishes clear legal definitions for "autonomous technology" and "autonomous vehicle,". which draws a distinction between fully self-driving vehicles and cars with advanced driver assistance features—clarifying what is and isn’t covered under the law.
Explicitly allows licensed drivers to operate autonomous vehicles on public highways,. potentially accelerating the adoption and testing of self-driving cars in New York while providing a consistent framework for law enforcement and insurance.
Sets specific rules for learners (those with a class DJ permit/license),. requiring supervision by an adult or licensed driver, and imposes a 60-day suspension penalty for violations—aiming to ensure responsible early use and address safety concerns for less experienced drivers.
Includes a sunset clause tied to safety evaluations,. meaning these provisions will lapse in six years or sooner if state authorities certify the technology is safe enough for unsupervised learner operation—embedding a mechanism for periodic policy review as the technology and its safety record evolve.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Self-Driving Cars
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1779
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the operation of motor vehicles with autonomous technology; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding two new sections 100-e and 100-f to read as follows:
§ 100-e. Autonomous technology. Technology installed on a motor vehicle that has the capability to drive the vehicle on which the technology is installed without the active control or monitoring by a human operator. Such term excludes a motor vehicle enabled with active safety systems or driver assistance systems, including, without limitation, a system to provide electronic blind spot assistance, crash avoidance, emergency braking, parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assistance, lane departure warning, or traffic jam and queuing assistant, unless any such system alone or in combination with other systems enables the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed to drive without the active control or monitoring by a human operator.
§ 100-f. Autonomous vehicle. A motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology.
§ 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 507-a to read as follows:
§ 507-a. Operation of autonomous vehicles. 1. Any person who holds a class D license or its equivalent may operate an autonomous vehicle upon a public highway.
2. Any person who holds a class DJ learner's permit or license or its equivalent may operate an autonomous vehicle upon a public highway when the person is under the immediate supervision and control of either a person at least eighteen years of age or a person who holds a license
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07060-01-9
S. 1779 2
valid in this state, unless there is a medical emergency which requires the operation of the autonomous vehicle without the supervision of a person at least eighteen years of age or a person who holds a license valid in this state.
3. Any person who holds a class DJ learner's permit or license or its equivalent who violates subdivision two of this section shall have his or her learner's permit or license suspended for a period of sixty days pursuant to section five hundred ten-c of this title.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law, and shall expire and be deemed repealed either 6 years after such date or upon a statement from the governor's traffic safety committee which declares autonomous technology safe enough for class DJ learner's permit or license holders to operate an autonomous vehicle without the supervision of a person at least 18 years of age or a person who holds a license valid in this state, whichever occurs first; provided that the governor's traffic safety committee shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission of the date of such declaration in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera- tion of motor vehicles with autonomous technology; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL::
Amends sections of the law in relation to the operation of autonomous vehicles to ensure passenger and public safety until technology becomes error-proof.
Read the full memo (806 words)
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding sections 100-e and 100-f.
a. 100-e defines autonomous technology as technology installed on a motor vehicle with the capabilities to drive the vehicle without the active control or monitoring of a human being. This term excludes motor vehicles enabled with active safety systems or driver assistance systems unless any system enables the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed to drive without the active control or monitoring by a human operator.
b. 100-f defines an autonomous vehicle as a motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology.
Section 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding section 507-a.
a. 507-a. Operation of autonomous vehicles may be any person who holds anything equivalent to class D license or any person with a learner's permit under the immediate supervision of a person at least 18 years of age with a valid state driver's license.
b. For the purposes of this chapter, a person will be required to oper- ate an autonomous vehicle in autonomous mode when a person causes the vehicle's autonomous technology to engage
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately. It will expire and be repealed when the legislature, with the written input by the governor's traffic safety committee, is provided with opinion that motor vehicle's autonomous technology has evolved to a point of such safety that a licensed driver is not needed; provided that the commissioner of motor vehicles notifies the legislative bill drafting commission upon the occurrence of providing such opinion to the legislature so that the commission may maintain an accurate data base of the official text of New York State. These law further effects the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Justification
Driver assistance systems have been evolving gradually and heading to a wholesale deployment of fully autonomous cars. Fully autonomous cars are available to consumers now but are not without their limitations and glitches which are potential dangers to both the passengers and to pedestrians.
Currently, all of the driver assistance systems which are in use today operate only for short times and in extremely limited settings. Auto- parking operates for a few seconds with the driver watching. Emergency braking kicks in at the last moment before an inevitable crash. Lane warning comes on briefly when a car veers out of its lane.
However, once the car drives itself continuously for minutes or hours, gradual evolution is impossible. Once a car is engaged on the road for autonomous driving there is no margin for error: no room for gradual improvement, learning by doing or evolution. It needs to be able to cope with all driving situations and crisis situations that may arise on the spot.
This legislation seeks to put in place a mechanism to ensure public safety when autonomous cars become available to consumers in New York State by requiring that a licensed driver is in the car when in oper- ations. Imagine a situation when a teen or youth with no license or driving permit engages such a vehicle and there is a malfunction or situation which needs the experience of an adult driver or licensed driver and non are in that autonomous vehicle.
Eventually the technology will progress to the point where errors by the autonomous car are never occurring and such an experienced or adult driver is needed in the car while engaged. This legislation addresses this progression in technology by having periodic reviews of the avail- able technology and a sunset provision when this law (as proposed in this bill) is no longer needed.
It is important to note that advances in technology are rapidly making our consumer protection laws obsolete. This legislation is an attempt to keep current with advances in technology while ensuring public safety for the 11.3 million licensed drivers in our State and the many more who will benefit from autonomous cars.
Prior legislative history
2018: S.8396 (Sepulveda)/ A.8590 (Sepulveda), Referred to Transportation Committee.
Fiscal implications for state and local government
None
Effective date
Shall take effect ninety days after becoming law. It will expire and be repealed when the legislature, with the written input by the governor's traffic safety committee, is provided with opinion that motor vehicle's autonomous technology has evolved to a point of such safety that a licensed driver is not needed.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.