California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday vetoed a bill that would have required a human safety operator to be present any time a self-driving truck is operating on public roads in the state.
The win for the independent trucking industry comes after the California Senate passed the bill in mid-September. The bill would have effectively banned driverless heavy-duty trucks from operating the way they were designed.
“Assembly Bill 316 is unnecessary to regulate and monitor heavy-duty autonomous vehicle technology in California, as existing law provides sufficient authority to create the appropriate regulatory framework,” Newsom wrote in his book. letter Block the invoice.
Despite being a battleground for robotaxi companies like Waymo and Cruise to develop and commercialize their technology, California has some of the strictest regulations for self-driving vehicles in the country.
Companies must go through several rounds of permitting in order to test and deploy in the state, according to rules set by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. So far, only light trucks are allowed on public roads.
The DMV is considering lifting the current ban on testing self-driving vehicles weighing more than 10,001 pounds in the state. The agency held a public workshop earlier this year on the topic, which prompted California lawmakers to come up with AB 316. The bill would have limited the DMV’s future authority to regulate self-driving vehicles, authority the agency has had since… 2012.
Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry first introduced the bill in January. Advocates of the legislation, including the Truck Drivers Union, argued that the state should have more control over removing safety drivers from self-driving trucks in order to protect California road users and ensure job security for truck drivers.
“I’m here today because Gavin Newsom has signaled his intent to turn his back on the safety of 39 million Californians and veto AB 316, not only putting every driver in California at risk, but also opening up big tech companies to eliminating hundreds of thousands of jobs,” Mike De Pene said. , member Truck drivers Local 70 in Oakland, in a statement.
Autonomous vehicle companies, industry representatives and chambers of commerce argued that the bill would not only hinder the advancement of technology that could save lives, but also limit supply chain innovation and hinder California’s economic competitiveness.
In his letter, Newsom said he trusts the DMV to continually monitor the testing and operation of autonomous vehicles on California roads, and to suspend or revoke permits as necessary to protect the public’s safety. He also said that he would commit to stimulating career paths and training workers to provide them with the necessary skills to deal with this emerging technology.
Newsom said he is directing the Labor and Workforce Development Agency to lead a stakeholder process next year to review and develop recommendations to mitigate the potential employment impact of self-driving trucks.
“Given my administration’s long-standing commitment to adequately addressing the current and future challenges of labor and workers in California, and the current regulatory framework that currently governs this particular technology, this bill is not necessary at this time. For these reasons I am unable to sign this bill.”