Witnesses urge federal AV framework to avoid a patchwork of state rules that could slow deployment
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Summary
Industry groups, safety advocates and members of the Energy and Commerce panel urged Congress to establish a federal policy framework for autonomous vehicles that clarifies vehicle design and performance standards while leaving states authority over deployments and local traffic issues.
Witnesses at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee hearing urged Congress to adopt a federal framework for autonomous vehicles (AVs) so vehicles can operate consistently across state lines while allowing states to regulate deployments, insurance and first-responder coordination.
Jeff Farah, CEO of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA), said the industry has logged “more than 145,000,000 autonomous miles on U.S. public roads” and called for a national AV safety data repository, a requirement that manufacturers prepare a safety case for commercially deployed automated driving systems, and NHTSA-led competency testing for AV systems. Farah and other witnesses argued that without federal AV standards, a patchwork of state equipment rules will emerge and that federal vehicle-design rules should preempt inconsistent state equipment standards.
John Bozzella of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation warned states are filling the regulatory void: “If federal motor vehicle safety standards existed, those states would be clearly preempted from doing so,” he said, pointing to California proposals for equipment requirements. Farah and Bozzella both recommended that the federal role focus on vehicle design, construction and performance while states handle authorization, insurance and local operational matters.
Several members, including Representative Lori Trahan and Representative Yvette Clarke, raised concerns about proposed legislative moratoria on state AI rules and how such provisions might inadvertently limit state and local AV protections. Witnesses said a well-crafted federal law should preserve state and local authority over deployment decisions and safety measures while creating consistent national standards for AV vehicle design.
Ending: Witnesses and lawmakers asked the committee to craft AV legislation that sets national performance and data-reporting standards, clarifies preemption of state equipment rules, and preserves state roles on deployment, public-safety coordination and insurance. No vote or final legislative action was taken at the hearing.