Maryland committee hears bill to authorize fully autonomous vehicles, supporters cite accessibility and safety; critics urge stronger federal oversight

Delegate Natalie Ziegler introduced House Bill 12-56 on the authorization and regulation of fully autonomous vehicles in Maryland, asking the committee to allow companies and state regulators to create standards for driverless operation on public roads. "We have amendments," Ziegler said, "including giving MVA the ability to decide that a particular vehicle is unsafe and remove it from the roads."

Proponents described autonomous vehicles as a tool to reduce crashes caused by human error and to expand mobility for people who cannot drive. Matt Walsh, head of government affairs for Waymo in the Eastern U.S., said Waymo’s vehicles have driven more than 33 million fully driverless miles and that in markets where they operate the company sees fewer crashes involving airbags, injuries and police-reported collisions. "The Waymo driver is now averaging more than 1,000,000 miles of fully autonomous driving per week," Walsh said. Jeff Farah of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association said AVs could reduce the toll of human-driver errors that contribute to tens of thousands of U.S. traffic deaths each year.

Disability advocates made accessibility the central public-interest argument in favor. Jesse Schierich and Chris Danielson of the National Federation of the Blind said AVs could remove barriers that blind riders regularly face with human drivers and ride-share services. "Autonomous vehicles have the potential and are in several cities providing us with a private and safe mode of transportation," Danielson said. Ronza Othman, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, reported a recent personal ride in another state that she described as “a game changer” because the vehicle did not discriminate and responded to accessibility needs.

Industry witnesses described operational safeguards they said reduce risk. Mike Hammond of Volvo Autonomous Solutions detailed redundant braking, steering, communications and computing systems used in heavy-duty autonomous trucks; Waymo and other developers described real-time fleet monitoring and rider-support systems that can summon human intervention or emergency services.

Critics urged caution and called for stronger independent oversight. Franz Schneiderman of Consumer Auto Maryland said the available safety record remains inconclusive and warned that vehicles frequently perform less predictably in low-light or unusual conditions. "The idea that AVs are safer is aspirational and not proven," Schneiderman said. He and others urged federal safety standards and independent reviews before wide deployment.

Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration staff said the bill would build on an existing state permit process for testing by creating administrative authority to review an operator’s "operational design domain" and to suspend registration or take other administrative action if safety concerns arise. Philip Dacey, MVA director of policy and innovation, described plans to require companies to submit operation plans and allow the MVA to set limits on where and when a vehicle may operate.

The committee heard a wide cross-section of testimony: technology trade associations, automakers and AV companies urged passage to enable industry activity and economic growth; the National Federation of the Blind and other disability-rights witnesses urged swift action to expand mobility; public-policy groups and consumer advocates said the state should insist on robust, independent safety verification and clear enforcement authority. No vote was recorded at the hearing.

As amended on the record, HB 12-56 would: allow registration and operation of autonomous vehicles that meet federal safety standards and Maryland traffic laws; authorize MVA rulemaking to approve a vehicle’s operational design domain; include data-privacy limitations on sale/transfers of vehicle-collected data; and set requirements for law-enforcement and first-responder interactions with AVs. The bill’s proponents said the state-level authorization follows similar legislation already enacted in 25 states.

Implementation questions remaining include how Maryland will treat criminal citations when no human driver is present, how commercial/heavy-duty autonomous trucks should be regulated compared with passenger vehicles, and what insurance and liability structures will apply. MVA witnesses said many of those details would be handled through rulemaking and operator-submitted safety cases.

Supporters urged the committee to proceed to let Maryland participate in early deployments while continuing to press for federal safety standards; opponents urged delay until independent safety benchmarks and oversight mechanisms are in place.