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SB-1184 Vehicles: City of Sacramento shared autonomous vehicle pilot project.(2017-2018)

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Date Published: 05/01/2018 09:00 PM
SB1184:v97#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  May 01, 2018
Amended  IN  Senate  March 22, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1184

Introduced by Senator Pan

February 15, 2018

An act to add and repeal Section 38757 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1184, as amended, Pan. Vehicles: City of Sacramento shared autonomous vehicle pilot project.
Existing law permits the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes if, among other requirements, a driver is seated in the driver’s seat and is capable of taking immediate manual control of the vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. Existing law, notwithstanding the above provision, until 180 days after the operative date of regulations promulgated by the Department of Motor Vehicles to allow testing of autonomous vehicles without a driver in the vehicle, authorizes the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority to conduct pilot projects to test autonomous vehicles that do not have a driver seated in the driver’s seat and are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or an accelerator if the testing is conducted only at specified locations and the autonomous vehicle operates at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour.
Existing regulations require a manufacturer testing an autonomous vehicle on public roads to comply with specified requirements, including applying for and receiving a Manufacturer’s Testing Permit or a Manufacturer’s Testing Permit—Driverless Vehicles from the Department of Motor Vehicles, providing proof to the department of the manufacturer’s ability to respond to a judgment for damages up to $5,000,000, and providing written identification of an autonomous vehicle to the department. Existing regulations prohibit a manufacturer from allowing an autonomous test vehicle to be operated on a public road if, among other things, the manufacturer receives compensation for providing a ride to a member of the public.
This bill would authorize the City of Sacramento to conduct a shared autonomous vehicle pilot project within a one-mile radius of the University/65th Street light rail station to test autonomous vehicles that do not have a driver seated in the driver’s seat and are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or an accelerator, as specified. The bill would require the city or a manufacturer participating in the pilot project to certify that local law enforcement approves of the testing area and conditions, as specified. The bill would exempt the city and a manufacturer participating in the pilot project from specified Department of Motor Vehicles regulations, and would allow a manufacturer to receive compensation for allowing a member of the public to ride in an autonomous vehicle. vehicle, but would prohibit directly charging a fee to a member of the public to ride in an autonomous vehicle.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on June 1, 2020, and would repeal it as of January 1, 2021.
This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of Sacramento.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 38757 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

38757.
 (a) Notwithstanding Section 38750, the City of Sacramento is authorized to conduct a shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles that do not have a driver seated in the driver’s seat and are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, or an accelerator, provided the following requirements are met:
(1) The testing shall be conducted only within a one-mile radius of the University/65th Street light rail station in the City of Sacramento, and a vehicle may traverse roads publicly maintained and open to the use of the public within the area of the pilot project. project, except for public freeways.
(2) An autonomous vehicle shall operate at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour. hour and have a gross vehicle weight rating of no greater than 10,000 pounds.
(3) A An autonomous vehicle manufacturer participating in the pilot program project shall possess a Manufacturer’s Testing Permit—Driverless Vehicles or a Permit to Deploy Autonomous Vehicles on Public Streets from the department.
(b) Before the start of testing of an autonomous vehicle that does not have a driver seated in the driver’s seat on or across a public road, the City of Sacramento or an autonomous vehicle manufacturer participating in the pilot project, or a combination of the two, shall certify that local law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction over the public roads in the designated testing area approve of the geographic area and environmental, traffic, and speed conditions authorized for the pilot project.

(b)

(c) The City of Sacramento and an autonomous vehicle manufacturer participating in the pilot project shall comply with Article 3.7 (commencing with Section 227.02) of Chapter 1 of Division 1 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations, except for subdivision (f) of Section 227.26 of the California Code of Regulation Regulations and any other provision that prohibits a manufacturer from receiving compensation for allowing a member of the public to ride as a passenger in an autonomous vehicle.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), the City of Sacramento and an autonomous vehicle manufacturer participating in the pilot project shall not directly charge a fee to a member of the public to ride as a passenger in an autonomous vehicle under this pilot project.

(c)

(e) This section shall become inoperative on June 1, 2020, and, as of January 1, 2021, is repealed.

SEC. 2.

 The Legislature finds and declares that a special statute is necessary and that a general statute cannot be made applicable within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California Constitution because of the unique needs of the City of Sacramento regarding an SAV pilot project.