By: Ellis S.B. No. 1167
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to relating to autonomous motor vehicles.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 521, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 521.1236 to read as follows:
Sec. 521.1236. DESIGNATOR ON LICENSE ISSUED FOR OPERATING
AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLE. (a) In this section, "autonomous motor
vehicle" has the meaning assigned by Section 545.428,
Transportation Code.
(b) The department shall establish a program to provide an
autonomous motor vehicle operation designation either on the face
of a driver's license or on the reverse side of the driver's license
issued to a person who is authorized to operate an autonomous motor
vehicle under Section 545.428.
SECTION 2. Section 541.001(1), Transportation Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(1) "Operator" means, as used in reference to a
vehicle, a person who drives or has physical control of a vehicle,
except as provided by Section 545.428(b).
SECTION 3. Subchapter I, Chapter 545, Transportation Code,
is amended by adding Section 545.428 to read as follows:
Sec. 545.428. OPERATION OF AUTONOMOUS MOTOR VEHICLES; PILOT
PROGRAM. (a) In this section:
(1) "Autonomous motor vehicle" means a motor vehicle
that is capable of using autonomous technology to operate itself
without the active control or continuous monitoring of a person.
(2) "Autonomous technology" means technology
installed on a motor vehicle enabling the vehicle to operate
without the active control or continuous monitoring of a person.
The term does not include, except to the extent that such a system
may be a component of autonomous technology, individual safety
systems or driver assistance systems that enhance safety or provide
driver assistance, but are not individually capable of operating a
motor vehicle without the active control or continuous monitoring
of a person, such as systems designed to provide:
(A) collision avoidance;
(B) electronic blind spot assistance;
(C) crash avoidance;
(D) automated emergency braking;
(E) parking assistance;
(F) adaptive cruise control;
(G) lane keep assistance;
(H) lane departure warning; or
(I) traffic jam and queuing assistance.
(3) "Upfitter" means a person who modifies a motor
vehicle after manufacturing to convert the motor vehicle into an
autonomous motor vehicle.
(b) An operator of an autonomous motor vehicle operating
with autonomous technology is:
(1) a person who causes the vehicle's autonomous
technology to engage, regardless of whether the person is
physically in the autonomous motor vehicle while the vehicle is
operating; or
(2) a person who is seated in the driver's seat of the
autonomous motor vehicle and continuously monitors the operation of
the autonomous motor vehicle.
(c) A person may not operate an autonomous motor vehicle on
a roadway or public highway under Subsection (b) unless:
(1) the person holds a driver's license with an
autonomous motor vehicle designation under Section 521.1236; and
(2) the person is an employee, contractor, or designee
of:
(A) The Texas Department of Safety;
(B) The Texas Department of Transportation;
(C) a manufacturer of autonomous motor vehicles
authorized by the department to operate autonomous motor vehicles;
or
(D) an upfitter authorized by the department to
operate autonomous motor vehicles.
(d) A person may not disable motor vehicle safety features
that are required by state and federal law during installation of
autonomous technology on a motor vehicle or operation of an
autonomous motor vehicle.
(e) The department shall adopt rules authorizing the
operation of autonomous motor vehicles on roadways and public
highways, including rules:
(1) establishing minimum requirements that an
autonomous motor vehicle must meet before the vehicle may be
operated on a roadway or public highway;
(2) establishing insurance requirements for:
(A) autonomous motor vehicle operators;
(B) manufacturers of autonomous motor vehicles
operating autonomous motor vehicles; and
(C) upfitters operating autonomous motor
vehicles;
(3) governing the safe operation of autonomous motor
vehicles on roadways and public highways;
(4) establishing a method of authorizing
manufacturers of autonomous motor vehicles and upfitters to test
autonomous motor vehicles and governing the testing of autonomous
motor vehicles;
(5) restricting the operation of autonomous motor
vehicles to certain geographic regions of this state; and
(f) The Texas Department of Transportation may establish an
autonomous freight transportation pilot program to collaborate
with autonomous motor vehicle manufacturers and upfitters to test
the use of autonomous motor vehicles for heavy freight
transportation purposes.
(g) The Texas Department of Transportation shall establish
a plan to install or deploy roadside infrastructure for a statewide
wireless communication system to support vehicle-to-infrastructure
communications that are essential to the proper performance or
operation of autonomous motor vehicles. The plan must incorporate
the dedicated short-range communications protocols of the United
States Department of Transportation and the microwave bands
allocated by the Federal Communications Commission for dedicated
short-range communications. The Texas Department of
Transportation may explore other wireless methods of communication
for communications that are not essential to the proper performance
or operation of autonomous motor vehicles.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2015.