U.S. House of Representatives Passes Legislation on Self-Driving Cars

On September 6, 2017 the House of Representatives passed the SELF DRIVE Act, a bill with bipartisan support. The SELF DRIVE Act, lays out a basic federal framework for autonomous vehicle regulation, signaling that federal lawmakers are finally ready to think seriously about self-driving cars and what they mean for the future of the country.

According to Republican Congressman Bob Latta “This legislation, innovation can flourish without the heavy hand of government.” He heads the Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection Subcommittee and delivered the statement in a floor speech just before the SELF DRIVE Act passed by a two-thirds majority. The Senate will need to pass its own bill before the legislative framework can become law.

However, not everyone was excited to hear the news about the bill. Some traffic safety advocates are concerned that the bill does not do enough to ensure the safety of the public.

Representatives of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America, and other groups on Tuesday accused lawmakers of writing a bill on autonomous vehicles offering few safeguards to the public. They warned the bill would mean little federal oversight of new automated vehicles as they enter the market in larger numbers.

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