DELAWARE STATE SENATE

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

SENATE BILL NO. 258

AMEND Senate Bill No. 258 by adding the following after line 26:

“ (d) By January 1, 2029, and upon appropriation by the General Assembly, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall submit a report to the members of the General Assembly and the Governor evaluating the performance of autonomous vehicle technology and its impact on public safety and employment in the transportation sector for autonomous vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 10,001 pounds or more. The report must include a summary of disengagements, crashes, and other information the Division of Motor Vehicles believes is relevant. The report must include a recommendation on whether the General Assembly should remove, modify, or maintain the requirement for an autonomous vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 10,001 pounds or more to operate with a human safety operator physically present in the vehicle. While preparing the report, the Division of Motor Vehicles shall do all of the following:

(1) Consult with the Department of Safety and Homeland Security on traffic impacts, driver and passenger safety risks, and impacts on other motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

(2) Consult with the Department of Labor on any job-related impacts, including worker displacement and shortcomings in retraining opportunities.

(3) Consult with the Department of Transportation on infrastructure impacts, deficiencies, and needs.

(4) Consult with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on how autonomous vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of 10,001 pounds or more may impact the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 as documented in their 2023 Implementation Report.

(5) Consult with independent experts on the performance of the technology, public safety impacts, and any other relevant factors in considering deployment.

(e) The Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Department of Labor, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and all other relevant state agencies shall provide additional information, as specified by the Division of Motor Vehicles, as needed to research the report required by this section.

SYNOPSIS

This Amendment directs the Division of Motor Vehicles to submit a report evaluating the performance of autonomous vehicle technology to the General Assembly and the Governor by January 1, 2029. The Amendment directs the Division of Motor Vehicles to consult with other departments and independent experts for their report.

Author: Senator Mantzavinos