New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico House Bill HB148 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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28	28	HOUSE BILL 148
29	29	57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2025
30	30	INTRODUCED BY
31	31	Dayan Hochman-Vigil
32	32	AN ACT
33	33	RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; ENACTING THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
34	34	ACT; PROVIDING SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OPERATION OF
35	35	AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES ON PUBLIC HIGHWAYS; REQUIRING THAT A
36	36	HUMAN OPERATOR BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT BEHIND THE WHEEL OF AN
37	37	OPERATING AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLE PRIOR TO 2036; PROVIDING
38	38	REQUIREMENTS FOR A HUMAN OPERATOR OF AN AUTONOMOUS MOTOR
39	39	VEHICLE; REQUIRING TESTING AND SAFETY PLANS; PROVIDING
40	40	AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS; LIMITING THE OPERATION
41	41	OF AUTONOMOUS COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLES ON PUBLIC ROADWAYS;
42	42	PROVIDING FOR AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLE INCIDENT REPORTING;
43	43	PROVIDING A COMMERCIAL DRIVER'S LICENSE ENDORSEMENT FOR DRIVING
44	44	AN AUTONOMOUS COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE; ADDING INSURANCE
45	45	REQUIREMENTS FOR AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES.
46	46	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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74	74	SECTION 1. Section 66-1-4.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990,
75	75	Chapter 120, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:
76	76	"66-1-4.1. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Motor Vehicle
77	77	Code:
78	78	A. "abandoned vehicle" means a vehicle or motor
79	79	vehicle that has been determined by a New Mexico law
80	80	enforcement agency:
81	81	(1) to have been left unattended on either
82	82	public or private property for at least thirty days;
83	83	(2) not to have been reported stolen;
84	84	(3) not to have been claimed by any person
85	85	asserting ownership; and
86	86	(4) not to have been shown by normal record-
87	87	checking procedures to be owned by any person;
88	88	B. "access aisle" means a space designed to allow a
89	89	person with a significant mobility limitation to safely exit
90	90	and enter a motor vehicle that is immediately adjacent to a
91	91	designated parking space for persons with significant mobility
92	92	limitation and that may be common to two such parking spaces of
93	93	at least sixty inches in width or, if the parking space is
94	94	designed for van accessibility, ninety-six inches in width, and
95	95	clearly marked and maintained with blue striping and, after
96	96	January 1, 2011, the words "NO PARKING" in capital letters,
97	97	each of which shall be at least one foot high and at least two
98	98	inches wide, placed at the rear of the access aisle so as to be
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127	127	close to where an adjacent vehicle's rear tires would be
128	128	placed;
129	129	C. "actual empty weight" means the weight of a
130	130	vehicle without a load;
131	131	D. "additional place of business", for dealers and
132	132	auto recyclers, means locations in addition to an established
133	133	place of business as defined in Section 66-1-4.5 NMSA 1978 and
134	134	meeting all the requirements of an established place of
135	135	business, except Paragraph (5) of Subsection C of Section
136	136	66-1-4.5 NMSA 1978, but "additional place of business" does not
137	137	mean a location used solely for storage and that is not used
138	138	for wrecking, dismantling, sale or resale of vehicles;
139	139	E. "alcoholic beverages" means any and all
140	140	distilled or rectified spirits, potable alcohol, brandy,
141	141	whiskey, rum, gin, aromatic bitters or any similar alcoholic
142	142	beverage, including all blended or fermented beverages,
143	143	dilutions or mixtures of one or more of the foregoing
144	144	containing more than one-half percent alcohol but excluding
145	145	medicinal bitters;
146	146	F. "authorized emergency vehicle" means any fire
147	147	department vehicle, police vehicle and ambulance and any
148	148	emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public utilities
149	149	that are designated or authorized as emergency vehicles by the
150	150	director of the New Mexico state police division of the
151	151	department of public safety or local authorities;
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180	180	G. "autocycle" means a three-wheeled motorcycle on
181	181	which the driver and all passengers ride in a completely or
182	182	partially enclosed seating area and that is manufactured to
183	183	comply with all applicable federal standards, regulations and
184	184	laws and is equipped with:
185	185	(1) non-straddle seating;
186	186	(2) rollover protection;
187	187	(3) safety belts for all occupants;
188	188	(4) antilock brakes;
189	189	(5) a steering wheel; and
190	190	(6) pedals;
191	191	H. "automated driving system" means the hardware
192	192	and software that are collectively capable of performing the
193	193	entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of
194	194	whether it is limited to a specific operational design domain;
195	195	"automated driving system" is used specifically to describe a
196	196	level three, four or five driving automation system as defined
197	197	in society of automotive engineers standard J3016, as published
198	198	in the Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving
199	199	Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles;
200	200	I. "automated driving system manufacturer" means a
201	201	person or entity that originally manufactures a vehicle and
202	202	equips the vehicle with an automated driving system or, in the
203	203	case of a vehicle not equipped with an automated driving system
204	204	by its original manufacturer, a person or entity that converts
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233	233	the vehicle into an autonomous motor vehicle by equipping it
234	234	with an automated driving system;
235	235	[I.] J. "autonomous commercial motor vehicle" means
236	236	a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in Subsection J of
237	237	Section 66-1-4.3 NMSA 1978, that is being controlled by an
238	238	automated driving system;
239	239	K. "autonomous disengagement" means the
240	240	deactivation of a vehicle's automated driving system while it
241	241	is operating:
242	242	(1) because of a failure or error of the
243	243	automated driving system;
244	244	(2) when the safe operation of the vehicle
245	245	requires a driver or remote operator to take manual control of
246	246	the vehicle;
247	247	(3) when a human operator or an autonomous
248	248	motor vehicle operator is prompted to take control of the
249	249	vehicle; or
250	250	(4) in any other instance in which the
251	251	automated driving system is deactivated due to a malfunction,
252	252	degradation or inability of the automated driving system;
253	253	[J.] L. "autonomous motor vehicle" means a motor
254	254	vehicle that is being controlled by an automated driving
255	255	system;
256	256	[K.] M. "autonomous motor vehicle operator" means
257	257	the person who engages the automated driving system of an
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286	286	autonomous motor vehicle or autonomous commercial motor
287	287	vehicle;
288	288	[L.] N. "autonomous motor vehicle testing" or
289	289	"autonomous commercial motor vehicle testing" means activities
290	290	taken in full or in part to evaluate and assess:
291	291	(1) the automated driving system's performance
292	292	of the dynamic driving task; and
293	293	(2) the automated driving system's performance
294	294	with respect to applicable safety areas as defined by the
295	295	[federal] national highway traffic safety administration for
296	296	autonomous vehicle operations; [and ]
297	297	O. "autonomous vehicle incident" means a crash,
298	298	near-crash, collision with a vehicle, person or object,
299	299	near-collision, autonomous disengagement, traffic violation,
300	300	unplanned stop or other failure of an automated driving system;
301	301	and
302	302	[M.] P. "auto recycler" means a person engaged in
303	303	this state in an established business that includes acquiring
304	304	vehicles that are required to be registered under the Motor
305	305	Vehicle Code for the purpose of dismantling, wrecking,
306	306	shredding, compacting, crushing or otherwise destroying
307	307	vehicles for reclaimable parts or scrap material to sell."
308	308	SECTION 2. Section 66-1-4.5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990,
309	309	Chapter 120, Section 6, as amended) is amended to read:
310	310	"66-1-4.5. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Motor Vehicle
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339	339	Code:
340	340	A. "electric-assisted bicycle" means a vehicle
341	341	having two or three wheels, fully operable pedals and an
342	342	electric motor. Electric-assisted bicycles are classified as
343	343	follows:
344	344	(1) "class 1 electric-assisted bicycle" means
345	345	an electric-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor not
346	346	exceeding seven hundred fifty watts of power that provides
347	347	assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to
348	348	provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty
349	349	miles per hour;
350	350	(2) "class 2 electric-assisted bicycle" means
351	351	an electric-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor not
352	352	exceeding seven hundred fifty watts of power that provides
353	353	assistance regardless of whether the rider is pedaling but
354	354	ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed
355	355	of twenty miles per hour; and
356	356	(3) "class 3 electric-assisted bicycle" means
357	357	an electric-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor not
358	358	exceeding seven hundred fifty watts of power that provides
359	359	assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to
360	360	provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of twenty-
361	361	eight miles per hour;
362	362	B. "electric mobility device" means a two- or
363	363	three-wheel vehicle with an electric motor for propulsion that
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392	392	does not meet the definition of an electric-assisted bicycle
393	393	and is capable of exceeding a speed of twenty miles per hour on
394	394	motor power alone;
395	395	C. "electric personal assistive mobility device"
396	396	means a self-balancing device having two nontandem wheels
397	397	designed to transport a single person by means of an electric
398	398	propulsion system with an average power of one horsepower and
399	399	with a maximum speed on a paved level surface of less than
400	400	twenty miles per hour when powered solely by its propulsion
401	401	system and while being ridden by an operator who weighs one
402	402	hundred seventy pounds;
403	403	D. "electronic credential" means an electronic
404	404	extension of the department-issued physical credential that
405	405	conveys identity and driving privilege information;
406	406	E. "electronic credential system" means a digital
407	407	process that includes a method for loading electronic
408	408	credentials onto a device, issuing electronic credentials,
409	409	requesting and transmitting electronic credential data elements
410	410	and performing tasks to maintain the system;
411	411	F. "essential parts" means all integral and body
412	412	parts of a vehicle of a type required to be registered by the
413	413	provisions of the Motor Vehicle Code, the removal, alteration
414	414	or substitution of which would tend to conceal the identity of
415	415	the vehicle or substantially alter its appearance, model, type
416	416	or mode of operation;
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445	445	G. "established place of business", for a dealer or
446	446	auto recycler, means a place:
447	447	(1) devoted exclusively to the business for
448	448	which the dealer or auto recycler is licensed and related
449	449	business;
450	450	(2) identified by a prominently displayed sign
451	451	giving the dealer's or auto recycler's trade name used by the
452	452	business;
453	453	(3) of sufficient size or space to permit the
454	454	display of one or more vehicles or to permit the parking or
455	455	storing of vehicles to be dismantled or wrecked for recycling;
456	456	(4) on which there is located an enclosed
457	457	building on a permanent foundation, which building meets the
458	458	building requirements of the community and is large enough to
459	459	accommodate the office or offices of the dealer or auto
460	460	recycler and large enough to provide a safe place to keep the
461	461	books and records of the dealer or auto recycler;
462	462	(5) where the principal portion of the
463	463	business of the dealer or auto recycler is conducted and where
464	464	the books and records of the business are kept and maintained;
465	465	and
466	466	(6) where vehicle sales are of new vehicles
467	467	only, such as a department store or a franchisee of a
468	468	department store, as long as the department store or franchisee
469	469	keeps the books and records of its vehicle business in a
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498	498	general office location at its place of business; as used in
499	499	this paragraph, "department store" means a business that offers
500	500	a variety of merchandise other than vehicles, and sales of the
501	501	merchandise other than vehicles constitute at least eighty
502	502	percent of the gross sales of the business; [and ]
503	503	H. "evidence of financial responsibility" means
504	504	evidence of the ability to respond in damages for liability, on
505	505	account of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date
506	506	of the evidence, arising out of the ownership, maintenance or
507	507	use of a vehicle of a type subject to registration under state
508	508	laws; and
509	509	[H.] I. "explosives" means any chemical compound or
510	510	mechanical mixture that is commonly used or intended for the
511	511	purpose of producing an explosion and that contains any
512	512	oxidizing and combustive units or other ingredients in such
513	513	proportions, quantities or packing that an ignition by fire,
514	514	friction, concussion, percussion or detonator of any part of
515	515	the compound or mixture may cause such a sudden generation of
516	516	highly heated gases that the resultant gaseous pressures are
517	517	capable of producing destructive effects on contiguous objects
518	518	or of destroying life or limb."
519	519	SECTION 3. Section 66-1-4.8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990,
520	520	Chapter 120, Section 9, as amended) is amended to read:
521	521	"66-1-4.8. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Motor Vehicle
522	522	Code:
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551	551	A. "hazardous material" means a substance or
552	552	material in a quantity and form that may pose an unreasonable
553	553	risk to health, safety or property when transported in
554	554	commerce;
555	555	B. "highway" or "street" means every way or place
556	556	generally open to the use of the public as a matter of right
557	557	for the purpose of vehicular travel, even though it may be
558	558	temporarily closed or restricted for the purpose of
559	559	construction, maintenance, repair or reconstruction;
560	560	C. "historic or special interest vehicle" means a
561	561	vehicle of any age that, because of its significance, is being
562	562	collected, preserved, restored or maintained by a collector as
563	563	a leisure pursuit;
564	564	D. "horseless carriage" means a motor vehicle at
565	565	least thirty-five years old that is owned as a collector's item
566	566	and used solely for exhibition and educational purposes; [and ]
567	567	E. "house trailer" means a manufactured home; and
568	568	F. "human operator" means, with regard to an
569	569	autonomous motor vehicle, the person who is seated in the
570	570	driver's seat of the vehicle, or, if there is no person in the
571	571	driver's seat, the person who causes the automated driving
572	572	system to engage."
573	573	SECTION 4. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code,
574	574	Section 66-3A-1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
575	575	"66-3A-1. [NEW MATERIAL ] SHORT TITLE.--Chapter 66,
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604	604	Article 3A NMSA 1978 may be cited as the "Autonomous Vehicle
605	605	Act"."
606	606	SECTION 5. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code,
607	607	Section 66-3A-2 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
608	608	"66-3A-2. [NEW MATERIAL ] OPERATION OF AUTONOMOUS MOTOR
609	609	VEHICLES--HUMAN OPERATOR--PROHIBITIONS--EXCEPTIONS.--
610	610	A. Prior to 2036, an autonomous motor vehicle shall
611	611	not be operated on a public highway in New Mexico unless a
612	612	human operator is physically present behind the steering wheel
613	613	of the vehicle, the human operator has the ability at all times
614	614	to take immediate control of the vehicle and the human
615	615	operator:
616	616	(1) has the proper driver's license
617	617	classification and all proper endorsements required for the
618	618	type of vehicle being operated, including, for an autonomous
619	619	commercial motor vehicle, a license endorsement authorizing
620	620	operation of such a vehicle pursuant to Paragraph (9) of
621	621	Subsection D of Section 66-5-65 NMSA 1978;
622	622	(2) is competent to operate the vehicle and
623	623	the automated driving system; and
624	624	(3) for an autonomous commercial motor
625	625	vehicle, is an employee, contractor or other person designated
626	626	by the automated driving system manufacturer.
627	627	B. An autonomous motor vehicle shall not be
628	628	operated in autonomous mode and a human operator shall take
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657	657	control of the vehicle:
658	658	(1) when the vehicle is required by law to
659	659	yield to an emergency vehicle or school bus;
660	660	(2) within a school zone or a construction
661	661	zone;
662	662	(3) within any area designated for parking at
663	663	a public park, playground, school, library, swimming facility
664	664	or other sports facility; or
665	665	(4) outside of the operating conditions
666	666	approved by the department of transportation in its statement
667	667	of approval issued pursuant to Subsection B of Section 66-3A-3
668	668	NMSA 1978.
669	669	C. The operation of an autonomous commercial motor
670	670	vehicle on a public highway in New Mexico is prohibited except
671	671	for the purposes of testing performed in accordance with the
672	672	requirements of the Autonomous Vehicle Act until and unless
673	673	operation for purposes other than testing has been approved by
674	674	rule of the national highway traffic safety administration."
675	675	SECTION 6. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code,
676	676	Section 66-3A-3 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
677	677	"66-3A-3. [NEW MATERIAL ] AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES--
678	678	REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATION ON PUBLIC HIGHWAY.--
679	679	A. An autonomous motor vehicle shall not be
680	680	operated on a public highway in New Mexico unless the owner,
681	681	operator or automated driving system manufacturer:
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710	710	(1) provides certification to the department
711	711	of transportation that the make and model of vehicle being
712	712	tested or operated has been operated in autonomous mode with
713	713	the same automated driving system for at least ten thousand
714	714	miles without incident and provide supporting data to the
715	715	department of transportation; and
716	716	(2) submits a plan that is approved by the
717	717	department of transportation in the manner and form required by
718	718	that department. In addition to any other requirements that
719	719	the department of transportation adopts by rule, the plan
720	720	shall:
721	721	(a) describe how the owner or operator
722	722	of the vehicle will minimize safety risks to other road users;
723	723	(b) describe the operating conditions
724	724	and geographical locations where the testing will be conducted;
725	725	and
726	726	(c) demonstrate that the vehicle is
727	727	capable of operating in those conditions with limited human
728	728	intervention.
729	729	B. The department of transportation shall review
730	730	plans submitted pursuant to pursuant to Paragraph (2) of
731	731	Subsection A of this section and issue a statement of approval
732	732	only upon a finding that the requirements of that paragraph
733	733	have been met and the operating conditions described in the
734	734	plan do not present an unreasonable risk of harm to pedestrians
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763	763	and other motorists."
764	764	SECTION 7. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code,
765	765	Section 66-3A-4 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
766	766	"66-3A-4. [NEW MATERIAL ] AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES--
767	767	VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS.--An autonomous motor vehicle shall not be
768	768	operated on a public highway in New Mexico unless the vehicle:
769	769	A. has a mechanism that records and stores data
770	770	from the vehicle's sensors, including sensors for the automated
771	771	driving system. On the occurrence of an autonomous vehicle
772	772	incident or a malfunction, error, failure or degraded state of
773	773	operation by the automated driving system, the mechanism shall
774	774	capture, store and preserve for three years the sensor data
775	775	starting at least thirty seconds before and capturing the
776	776	entirety of the autonomous vehicle incident or malfunction,
777	777	error, failure or degraded state of operation;
778	778	B. is equipped with an inward- and outward-facing
779	779	dashboard camera that automatically records video footage of
780	780	any autonomous vehicle incident and stores the footage for no
781	781	less than three years;
782	782	C. has a visual indicator in the cabin to indicate
783	783	when the automated driving system is engaged;
784	784	D. has a mechanism to safely alert the human
785	785	operator of a failure of the automated driving system;
786	786	E. allows the human operator of the vehicle to take
787	787	control of the vehicle in multiple, safe and simple manners;
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816	816	and
817	817	F. if the vehicle is an autonomous commercial motor
818	818	vehicle, has a valid department of transportation number and
819	819	current operating authority as a motor carrier to perform
820	820	testing of autonomous commercial motor vehicles. Any testing
821	821	of that vehicle shall be under that operating authority."
822	822	SECTION 8. Section 66-7-12 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2021,
823	823	Chapter 114, Section 7) is recompiled as Section 66-3A-5 NMSA
824	824	1978 and is amended to read:
825	825	"66-3A-5. AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES--NOTIFICATION AND
826	826	REGULATION OF TESTING.--
827	827	A. Prior to testing an autonomous motor vehicle [or
828	828	an autonomous commercial motor vehicle ] on a public highway in
829	829	New Mexico, a person owning or operating [such a ] the motor
830	830	vehicle shall notify the department of transportation at least
831	831	five calendar days in advance of such operation on a form
832	832	provided by rule by the department of at least the following
833	833	information:
834	834	(1) the serial number and type of each motor
835	835	vehicle to be tested;
836	836	(2) the routes to be used by the motor
837	837	vehicles;
838	838	(3) the level of automated driving systems to
839	839	be used by the motor vehicles; and
840	840	(4) such additional information as may be
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869	869	required by the department of transportation by rule.
870	870	B. The department of transportation shall
871	871	promulgate rules regarding the notification and regulation
872	872	process provided for in Subsection A of this section, including
873	873	forms to be used and information to be submitted by operators
874	874	of autonomous motor vehicles and autonomous commercial motor
875	875	vehicles when testing such motor vehicles on public highways in
876	876	New Mexico."
877	877	SECTION 9. Section 66-7-13 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2021,
878	878	Chapter 114, Section 8) is recompiled as Section 66-3A-6 NMSA
879	879	1978 and is amended to read:
880	880	"66-3A-6. AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES--STANDARDS--LOCAL
881	881	REGULATION.--
882	882	A. Autonomous motor vehicles [and autonomous
883	883	commercial motor vehicles ] shall meet all applicable state and
884	884	federal motor vehicle safety standards and performance
885	885	requirements. Additionally, autonomous motor vehicles and
886	886	autonomous commercial motor vehicles shall [be capable of being
887	887	operated] at all times operate in compliance with applicable
888	888	traffic and motor vehicle laws in New Mexico.
889	889	B. With regard to an autonomous motor vehicle
890	890	operated in the state, the performance of a safety system
891	891	required by state or federal law or regulation or the overall
892	892	safety of the vehicle shall not be disabled or degraded.
893	893	[B.] C. No political subdivision of the state may,
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922	922	by ordinance, resolution or any other means, prohibit the
923	923	testing or operation of an autonomous motor vehicle or
924	924	autonomous commercial motor vehicle within the jurisdictional
925	925	boundaries of the political subdivision solely on the basis of
926	926	the motor vehicle being equipped with an automated driving
927	927	system."
928	928	SECTION 10. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code,
929	929	Section 66-3A-7 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:
930	930	"66-3A-7. [NEW MATERIAL ] AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES--
931	931	COLLISION, INJURY OR DAMAGE--REPORTING--AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE
932	932	INCIDENT.--
933	933	A. The owner or operator of an autonomous motor
934	934	vehicle shall submit a report to the department of
935	935	transportation on January 1 and July 1 of every year that
936	936	details all autonomous vehicle incidents by the vehicle. The
937	937	report shall include the total number of collisions, rate of
938	938	collisions, total employees, change in employees since the
939	939	owner or operator began operating an autonomous motor vehicle
940	940	and, for an autonomous vehicle incident:
941	941	(1) the date, time and location;
942	942	(2) the vehicle identification number or other
943	943	identifying information if a vehicle identification number is
944	944	not available;
945	945	(3) general facts and circumstances of the
946	946	incident, including the number of passengers, passenger
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975	975	interactions, injuries, property damage, road conditions,
976	976	traffic and weather conditions and interactions with other road
977	977	users or obstacles;
978	978	(4) a detailed narrative of the incident
979	979	written in language that a nontechnical person can reasonably
980	980	understand;
981	981	(5) information related to the performance of
982	982	the autonomous driving system, including whether it was engaged
983	983	during or in the thirty seconds prior to the automated vehicle
984	984	incident, any errors, failures, malfunctions or inabilities of
985	985	the automated driving system, whether an autonomous
986	986	disengagement occurred and telematics data;
987	987	(6) the specific traffic law violated, if any;
988	988	(7) the existence of any known video footage
989	989	of the incident, including footage captured pursuant to Section
990	990	66-3A-4 NMSA 1978, the footage of which shall be submitted with
991	991	the report; and
992	992	(8) other information required by the
993	993	department of transportation.
994	994	B. If an autonomous motor vehicle or autonomous
995	995	commercial motor vehicle is involved in a collision on a public
996	996	road that results in property damage, bodily injury to a person
997	997	or the death of a person, the owner or operator of the vehicle
998	998	shall report the collision to the department of transportation
999	999	within forty-eight hours of the collision.
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1028	1028	C. By December of each year beginning in 2026, the
1029	1029	department of transportation shall submit a report to the
1030	1030	interim legislative committee that studies transportation. The
1031	1031	report shall evaluate the performance and impact of autonomous
1032	1032	motor vehicles on public safety and employment, including a
1033	1033	summary of the autonomous disengagements, autonomous vehicle
1034	1034	incidents, impact on transportation sector employees and a
1035	1035	recommendation on whether the legislature should modify
1036	1036	autonomous motor vehicle statutes."
1037	1037	SECTION 11. Section 66-5-65 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1989,
1038	1038	Chapter 14, Section 14, as amended) is amended to read:
1039	1039	"66-5-65. CLASSIFICATIONS--ENDORSEMENTS--RESTRICTIONS.--
1040	1040	A. Commercial driver's licenses may be issued with
1041	1041	the classifications, endorsements and restrictions enumerated
1042	1042	in Subsections B, C and D of this section, provided that the
1043	1043	applicant has passed the knowledge and skills test required by
1044	1044	the department. The holder of a valid commercial driver's
1045	1045	license may drive all vehicles in the class for which that
1046	1046	license is issued and all lesser classes of vehicles except
1047	1047	motorcycles and vehicles that require an endorsement, unless
1048	1048	the proper endorsement appears on the license.
1049	1049	B. The following classifications shall apply to
1050	1050	commercial driver's licenses:
1051	1051	(1) class A - any combination of vehicles with
1052	1052	a gross combination weight rating of more than twenty-six
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1081	1081	thousand pounds, if the gross vehicle weight rating of the
1082	1082	vehicle or vehicles being towed is in excess of ten thousand
1083	1083	pounds;
1084	1084	(2) class B - any single vehicle with a gross
1085	1085	vehicle weight rating of more than twenty-six thousand pounds
1086	1086	and any such vehicle towing a vehicle with a gross vehicle
1087	1087	weight rating of ten thousand pounds or less; and
1088	1088	(3) class C - any single vehicle or
1089	1089	combination of vehicles that does not meet either the
1090	1090	definition of Paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection but is:
1091	1091	(a) designed to transport sixteen or
1092	1092	more passengers, including the driver; or
1093	1093	(b) used in the transportation of
1094	1094	hazardous materials, which requires the vehicle to be placarded
1095	1095	under applicable law.
1096	1096	C. The secretary, by regulation, may provide for
1097	1097	classifications in addition to those set forth in Subsection B
1098	1098	of this section.
1099	1099	D. The following endorsements and restrictions
1100	1100	shall apply to commercial driver's licenses:
1101	1101	(1) "H" - authorizes driving a vehicle
1102	1102	transporting hazardous material;
1103	1103	(2) "L" - restricts the driver to vehicles not
1104	1104	equipped with airbrakes;
1105	1105	(3) "T" - authorizes driving a vehicle towing
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1134	1134	more than one trailer;
1135	1135	(4) "P" - authorizes driving vehicles, other
1136	1136	than school buses, carrying passengers;
1137	1137	(5) "N" - authorizes driving tank vehicles;
1138	1138	(6) "X" - represents a combination of the
1139	1139	hazardous material ("H") and tank vehicle ("N") endorsements;
1140	1140	(7) "S" - authorizes driving a school bus;
1141	1141	[and]
1142	1142	(8) "K" - restricts the driver to driving a
1143	1143	commercial motor vehicle in intrastate commerce only; and
1144	1144	(9) "AV" - authorizes driving an autonomous
1145	1145	commercial motor vehicle .
1146	1146	E. The department shall require an applicant
1147	1147	requesting a hazardous material ("H") endorsement to be subject
1148	1148	to a background check pursuant to the federal Uniting and
1149	1149	Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required
1150	1150	to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. Information
1151	1151	received pursuant to a background check required by the federal
1152	1152	transportation security administration of the department of
1153	1153	homeland security shall be kept confidential and shall be
1154	1154	released only to the subject of the background check and the
1155	1155	division. Fees charged for the background check shall be borne
1156	1156	by the subject of the background check or by the employer.
1157	1157	F. The department shall promulgate rules governing
1158	1158	the prerequisites for an applicant to receive the endorsement
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1187	1187	authorized by Paragraph (9) of Subsection D of this section,
1188	1188	which shall, at minimum, include certification to the
1189	1189	department by an automated driving system manufacturer or the
1190	1190	manufacturer's designated representative that the applicant has
1191	1191	successfully completed a training course provided by that
1192	1192	manufacturer or the manufacturer's designated representative. "
1193	1193	SECTION 12. Section 66-5-208 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978,
1194	1194	Chapter 35, Section 282, as amended) is amended to read:
1195	1195	"66-5-208. EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY--AMOUNTS
1196	1196	AND CONDITIONS.--Evidence of financial responsibility [as used
1197	1197	in the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act, means evidence
1198	1198	of the ability to respond in damages for liability, on account
1199	1199	of accidents occurring subsequent to the effective date of the
1200	1200	evidence, arising out of the ownership, maintenance or use of a
1201	1201	vehicle of a type subject to registration under the laws of New
1202	1202	Mexico] shall be in the following amounts:
1203	1203	A. twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) because
1204	1204	of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident;
1205	1205	B. subject to this limit for one person, fifty
1206	1206	thousand dollars ($50,000) because of bodily injury to or death
1207	1207	of two or more persons in any one accident;
1208	1208	C. ten thousand dollars ($10,000) because of injury
1209	1209	to or destruction of property of others in any one accident;
1210	1210	[and]
1211	1211	D. if evidence is in the form of a surety bond or a
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1240	1240	cash deposit, the total amount shall be sixty thousand dollars
1241	1241	($60,000);
1242	1242	E. for an autonomous motor vehicle, one hundred
1243	1243	fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) because of death, bodily
1244	1244	injury and property damage; and
1245	1245	F. for an autonomous commercial motor vehicle, five
1246	1246	million dollars ($5,000,000) because of death, bodily injury
1247	1247	and property damage."
1248	1248	SECTION 13. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
1249	1249	provisions of this act is January 1, 2026.
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