House Transportation Committee advances broad slate of bills on TNCs, autonomous vehicles, airports and towing
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Summary
The Virginia House Committee on Transportation reported a large package of bills to the floor and approved multiple substitutes and amendments on Feb. 11, moving measures on TNC disclosure and background checks, an autonomous vehicle work group and a pilot for autonomous truck-mounted attenuators forward; one bill was carried over to 2027.
The House Committee on Transportation met Feb. 11 and advanced a wide-ranging package of transportation measures, approving substitutes, amendments and reports to the floor on issues that include transportation network company (TNC) transparency, TNC partner background screenings, autonomous-vehicle work groups and a pilot for autonomous truck-mounted attenuators in work zones.
Chair Delia Glass opened the committee’s innovations and aviation subcommittee report and walked members through several substitutes and amendments that the committee ultimately reported. “This substitute incorporated Planning District 9 and 15 to the bill,” Glass said when describing a change to House Bill 55 that would allow noise abatement monitoring systems on highways and make the operator civilly liable for penalties not to exceed $100.
Why it matters: the committee’s actions move multiple bills closer to a House floor vote and, for several items, create new administrative requirements or study groups that will shape how local governments and state agencies regulate emerging technologies and service providers.
Key outcomes and topics discussed - TNC disclosure and partner data (House Bill 1270, substitute): The committee considered a substitute requiring transportation network companies to file annual reports to the commissioner of the Department of Vehicle Services with aggregate data on average fares, total time driven while carrying passengers, total partner earnings for prearranged rides, and weekly summaries showing fares and partner earnings. The substitute also added disclosure requirements about partner deactivation processes and itemized receipts.
- TNC background checks (House Bill 1469, amendments): Amendments were adopted to expand address-history checks to include all addresses of residence since age 18 and to update the name of the background-screening association. Language about disqualification tied to having “served any portion of a sentence” within seven years was removed in amendment form.
- Autonomous vehicles (House Bill 1124, substitute): A substitute replaced earlier penalty-focused language with a requirement that the secretary of transportation convene a work group to study autonomous vehicle policy and implementation.
- Autonomous truck-mounted attenuators pilot (House Bill 582, substitute): The committee reported a substitute authorizing the Department of Transportation to pilot the deployment of autonomous truck-mounted attenuators within work zones; the pilot would expire Dec. 31, 2031.
- Aviation fund and airport classification (House Bill 1231): The committee reported a bill adjusting allocations from the Commonwealth Aviation Fund and reclassifying certain airports’ designations.
- Coal-hauler ticketing (House Bill 1457, substitute): A substitute was adopted to require that overweight-truck tickets issued to coal haulers be issued to the truck owner rather than the driver.
- Towing advisory boards and parking enforcement (House Bills 908 and 96936, amendments/substitutes): Amendments to House Bill 908 clarified voting-member provisions for towing advisory boards to ensure public representation; a substitute to another bill authorized counties under certain government plans to use specified equipment to enforce parking ordinances and adjusted summons and data-retention rules.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in committee) - house bill 5 55 5 59: motion to report approved (voice vote) (SEG 043–052). - House Bill 1120 (amendment replacing DOT with DMV; work group language): subcommittee recommended 9–0; reported as amended (SEG 055–092). - House Bill 1457 (coal hauler substitute): subcommittee recommended reporting 9–0; reported (SEG 095–124). - House Bill 55 (incorporated HB1349 substitute): subcommittee 7–3; committee reported substitute 13–5 (SEG 161–179). - House Bill 200 (trip program substitute): committee recorded as reported 18–0 (SEG 182–210). - House Bill 1003: carried over to 2027 by voice vote (SEG 211–244). - House Bill 582 (autonomous attenuators pilot): subcommittee 10–0; committee reported 18–0 (SEG 255–280). - House Bill 908 (towing advisory amendments): reported with amendments 18–0 (SEG 281–310). - House Bill 96936 (parking enforcement substitute): reported (roll recorded) (SEG 313–341). - House Bill 1124 (autonomous vehicle work group substitute): reported 19–0 (SEG 343–365). - House Bill 1231 (aviation fund allocations): reported 10–0 (SEG 366–382). - House Bill 1270 (TNC disclosure substitute): subcommittee recommended 10–0; committee recorded no further roll report notation in the transcript (SEG 385–417). - House Bill 1469 (TNC background-screening amendments): reported with amendments (roll recorded) (SEG 419–457).
Attribution and next steps Committee members repeatedly described several items as technical fixes, substitutions to move administration between agencies, or changes to reporting deadlines and program scope. Several bills established study groups or required agency reports, pushing substantive policy development into administrative or interagency processes rather than immediate statutory mandates. The committee adjourned without noted further action on items beyond reporting and carryover; bills reported by the committee will proceed toward the House floor for further consideration.
Ending: The committee adjourned after a voice vote; no additional public testimony or extended debate was recorded in the transcript.
