LCO No. 3438 1 of 9
General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6486
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 3438
Referred to Committee on TRANSPORTATION
Introduced by:
(TRA)
AN ACT CONCERNING AU TOMATED DRIVING SYST EM EQUIPPED
VEHICLES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 13a-260 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) For the purposes of this section: 3
(1) ["Fully autonomous vehicle"] "ADS-equipped vehicle" means a 4
motor vehicle that is equipped with an automated driving system; [, 5
designed to function without an operator and classified as level four or 6
level five by SAE J3016;] 7
(2) "Automated driving system" or "ADS" means the hardware and 8
software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic 9
driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether the automated 10
driving system is limited to a specific operational design domain; 11
(3) "Driver" means a user who performs in real-time part or all of the 12
dynamic driving tasks or dynamic driving tasks fallback for a vehicle; 13 Raised Bill No. 6486
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(4) "Driving automation" means the performance by hardware and 14
software of part or all of the dynamic driving tasks on a sustained basis; 15
(5) "Driving automation system" means the hardware and software 16
that are collectively capable of performing part or all of the dynamic 17
driving tasks on a sustained basis; 18
[(3)] (6) "Dynamic driving task" means the real-time operational and 19
tactical functions required to operate a motor vehicle on highways, 20
excluding the strategic functions such as trip scheduling and selection 21
of destinations and waypoints; 22
(7) "Dynamic driving task fallback" means the response by the user 23
to either perform the dynamic driving task or achieve a minimal risk 24
condition after occurrence of a dynamic driving task performance-25
relevant system failure or upon operational design domain exit, or the 26
response by an automated driving system to achieve minimal risk 27
condition; 28
(8) "Fallback-ready user" means the user of a vehicle equipped with 29
an engaged level three or conditional driving automation system who is 30
able to (A) operate the vehicle and is receptive to automated driving 31
system-issued requests to intervene, and (B) evident dynamic driving 32
task performance-relevant system failures in the vehicle compelling the 33
user to perform the dynamic driving task fallback; 34
(9) "Level three or conditional driving automation" means the 35
sustained and operational design domain-specific performance by an 36
automated driving system of the entire dynamic driving task with the 37
expectation that the dynamic driving task fallback-ready user is 38
receptive to automated driving system-issued requests to intervene and 39
to dynamic driving task performance-relevant system failures in other 40
vehicle systems and will respond appropriately; 41
(10) "Minimal risk condition" means a condition to which a user or an 42
automated driving system may bring a vehicle after performing the 43
dynamic driving task fallback to reduce the risk of a crash when a given 44 Raised Bill No. 6486
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trip cannot or should not be completed; 45
(11) "Operate" means the activities performed by an operator or by an 46
automated driving system to perform the entire dynamic driving task 47
for a vehicle during a trip; 48
[(4)] (12) "Operational design domain" means [a description of the 49
operating domains in which an automated driving system is] the 50
operating conditions under which a driving automation system, or 51
feature of such system, is specifically designed to function, including, 52
but not limited to, [geographic, roadway,] environmental, [and speed 53
limitations] geographical and time-of-day restrictions and the requisite 54
presence or absence of certain traffic or roadway conditions; 55
[(5) "SAE J3016" means the "Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms 56
Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles" 57
published by SAE International in September 2016;] 58
[(6)] (13) "Operator" means [the person who causes the automated 59
driving system to engage while physically inside the fully autonomous 60
vehicle] a driver or automated driving system that operates a motor 61
vehicle; 62
[(7) "Autonomous vehicle tester" means an autonomous vehicle 63
manufacturer, institution of higher education, fleet service provider or 64
automotive equipment or technology provider; 65
(8) "Fleet service provider" means a person or entity that owns or 66
leases a fully autonomous vehicle and operates such fully autonomous 67
vehicle for commercial or public use; 68
(9) "Autonomous vehicle manufacturer" means: (A) A person or 69
entity that builds or sells fully autonomous vehicles; (B) a person or 70
entity that installs automated driving systems in motor vehicles that are 71
not originally built as fully autonomous vehicles; or (C) a person or 72
entity that develops automated driving systems in fully autonomous 73
vehicles or motor vehicles that are not originally built as fully 74 Raised Bill No. 6486
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autonomous vehicles; 75
(10) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 76
Management; and] 77
(14) "Request to intervene" means notification by an automated 78
driving system to a fallback-ready user indicating that the fallback-79
ready user should promptly perform the dynamic driving task fallback, 80
which may entail resuming manual operation of the vehicle or achieving 81
a minimal risk condition; 82
(15) "System failure" means a malfunction in a driving automation 83
system or other vehicle system that prevents the driving automatic 84
system from reliably performing the portion of the dynamic driving task 85
on a sustained basis, including the complete dynamic driving task, that 86
it would otherwise perform; 87
(16) "Testing" means operating a motor vehicle equipped with an 88
automated driving system for the purpose of demonstrating or 89
evaluating the automated driving system on highways; 90
(17) "Trip" means the traversal of an entire travel pathway by a 91
vehicle from the point of origin to a destination; 92
(18) "User" means a person who performs the human role in driving 93
automation; and 94
[(11)] (19) "Highway", ["limited access highway", and] "motor 95
vehicle", "operator's license" and "owner" have the same meanings as 96
defined in section 14-1. 97
[(b) The Office of Policy and Management, in consultation with the 98
Departments of Motor Vehicles, Transportation and Emergency 99
Services and Public Protection, shall establish a pilot program for not 100
more than four municipalities to allow autonomous vehicle testers to 101
test fully autonomous vehicles on the highways of such municipalities. 102
Municipalities shall apply to the Secretary of the Office of Policy 103
Management in the manner and form directed by the secretary for 104 Raised Bill No. 6486
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inclusion in the pilot program. The secretary shall select at least one 105
municipality with a population of at least one hundred twenty 106
thousand, but not more than one hundred twenty-four thousand, and 107
one municipality with a population of at least one hundred thousand, 108
as enumerated in the 2010 federal decennial census. 109
(c) The chief elected official or chief executive officer of a municipality 110
selected by the secretary shall select and enter into a written agreement 111
with an autonomous vehicle tester or autonomous vehicle testers to test 112
fully autonomous vehicles on the highways of the municipality. Such 113
agreement shall, at a minimum: (1) Specify the locations and routes 114
where such fully autonomous vehicles may operate; (2) prohibit the 115
operation of such fully autonomous vehicles outside such locations and 116
routes except in the case of an emergency; (3) identify each fully 117
autonomous vehicle to be tested by vehicle identification number, make, 118
year and model; and (4) specify the hours of operation of such fully 119
autonomous vehicles. 120
(d) An autonomous vehicle tester shall not test a fully autonomous 121
vehicle in a municipality unless: 122
(1) The operator is: (A) Physically inside the fully autonomous 123
vehicle; (B) monitoring the operation of such fully autonomous vehicle; 124
(C) capable of taking immediate manual control of such fully 125
autonomous vehicle; (D) an employee, independent contractor or other 126
person designated and trained by the autonomous vehicle tester 127
concerning the capabilities and limitations of such fully autonomous 128
vehicle; and (E) a holder of an operator's license; 129
(2) The autonomous vehicle tester: (A) Registers each fully 130
autonomous vehicle to be tested with the Commissioner of Motor 131
Vehicles pursuant to section 14-12; and (B) submits to the commissioner, 132
in a manner and form directed by the commissioner, proof of liability 133
insurance, self-insurance or a surety bond of at least five million dollars 134
for damages by reason of bodily injury, death or property damage 135
caused by a fully autonomous vehicle; and 136 Raised Bill No. 6486
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(3) The operator and autonomous vehicle tester: (A) Comply with any 137
provision of the general statutes or any ordinance of a municipality 138
concerning the operation of motor vehicles; (B) comply with standards 139
established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 140
regarding fully autonomous vehicles; and (C) satisfy any other 141
requirement as determined by the secretary, in consultation with the 142
Commissioners of Motor Vehicles, Transportation and Emergency 143
Services and Public Protection, as necessary to ensure the safe operation 144
of such fully autonomous vehicle. 145
(e) No autonomous vehicle tester shall test a fully autonomous 146
vehicle on any limited access highway. 147
(f) The secretary may immediately prohibit an operator or 148
autonomous vehicle tester from testing a fully autonomous vehicle if the 149
secretary, in consultation with the Commissioners of Motor Vehicles, 150
Transportation and Emergency Services and Public Protection, 151
determines that such testing poses a risk to public safety or that such 152
operator or autonomous vehicle tester fails to comply with the 153
provisions of this section or with the requirements of the pilot program. 154
(g) An autonomous vehicle tester that participates in the pilot 155
program shall provide information to the secretary and the task force 156
established pursuant to section 2 of public act 17-69* that the secretary 157
and task force deem to be appropriate for measuring the performance 158
of the pilot program. The autonomous vehicle tester may withhold any 159
commercially valuable, confidential or proprietary information. 160
(h) Not later than July 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the secretary 161
shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the General 162
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation, in 163
accordance with section 11-4a, concerning the implementation and 164
progress of the pilot program.] 165
(b) Not later than January 1, 2023, the Commissioner of 166
Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy 167
and Management and the Commissioners of Motor Vehicles, Insurance 168 Raised Bill No. 6486
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and Emergency Services and Public Protection shall establish state-wide 169
guidelines and requirements for testing and operating ADS-equipped 170
vehicles on highways in the state. Such guidelines and requirements 171
shall (1) incorporate any provision of any statute or regulation of this 172
state or the federal government and national best practices regarding 173
testing and operating ADS-equipped vehicles on highways, (2) consider 174
recommendations from the task force established pursuant to section 2 175
of public act 17-69, municipalities and other interested stakeholders, and 176
(3) be reviewed and revised as necessary. 177
(c) Before an ADS-equipped vehicle is tested or operated on a 178
highway, the owner or the driver of the ADS-equipped vehicle shall: 179
(1) When required by federal law or regulation, (A) receive 180
certification that the ADS-equipped vehicle is in compliance with all 181
applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards and regulations, and 182
(B) place any required certification label, including any reference to an 183
exception granted under federal law or regulation, on the ADS-184
equipped vehicle; 185
(2) Register the ADS-equipped vehicle with the Commissioner of 186
Motor Vehicles pursuant to section 14-12 or validly register the ADS-187
equipped vehicle in another state; and 188
(3) Maintain an automobile liability insurance coverage or a surety 189
bond of at least five million dollars for damages by reason of bodily 190
injury, death or property damage caused by an ADS-equipped vehicle. 191
(d) An ADS-equipped vehicle shall comply with any provision of the 192
general statutes or any ordinance of a municipality concerning the 193
operation of a motor vehicle. 194
(e) When an ADS-equipped vehicle is testing or operating on the 195
highways of the state and the automated driving system is engaged: 196
(1) The automated driving system is the operator and shall perform 197
the entire dynamic driving task of the vehicle; 198 Raised Bill No. 6486
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(2) The automated driving system is not required to obtain or possess 199
an operator's license; 200
(3) The owner of the ADS-equipped vehicle is responsible for 201
ensuring the compliant operation of the vehicle; 202
(4) The ADS-equipped vehicle shall operate within the operational 203
design domain designated by the manufacturer, unless the ADS-204
equipped vehicle is granted an exemption under federal law or 205
regulation; and 206
(5) The automated driving system shall achieve a minimal risk 207
condition or make a request to intervene if an operational design 208
domain exit occurs or a system failure occurs that renders the ADS-209
equipped vehicle unable to perform the entire dynamic driving task 210
relevant to the intended operational design domain. 211
(f) If an ADS-equipped vehicle is involved in a crash, the ADS-212
equipped vehicle shall achieve a minimal risk condition and remain at 213
the scene of the crash. The owner of the ADS-equipped vehicle, or a 214
person on behalf of such owner, shall (1) immediately report the crash 215
to a law enforcement officer and remain at the scene of the crash until 216
the arrival of a law enforcement officer, and (2) provide the following 217
information upon request to the law enforcement officer: (A) Proof of 218
registration and insurance, (B) the driver's operator's license, (C) specific 219
details of the crash, including the possible cause of the crash, (D) 220
whether the automated driving system was engaged prior to and at the 221
time of the crash, and (E) any other information as requested by the law 222
enforcement officer. 223
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 13a-260
Statement of Purpose:
To permit the testing and operation of automated driving system
equipped vehicles on state highways. Raised Bill No. 6486
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[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]