Bill Text: NY S01779 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Provides for a definition of autonomous vehicles and mandates that drivers with a class DJ learner's permit or license may only operate an autonomous vehicle under supervision.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION [S01779 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S01779-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1779
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 16, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
        AN  ACT  to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera-
          tion of motor vehicles with autonomous technology; and  providing  for
          the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by  adding  two  new
     2  sections 100-e and 100-f to read as follows:
     3    §  100-e. Autonomous technology. Technology installed on a motor vehi-
     4  cle that has the capability to drive the vehicle on which the technology
     5  is installed without the active control or monitoring by a human  opera-
     6  tor.    Such  term  excludes  a motor vehicle enabled with active safety
     7  systems or driver assistance systems, including, without  limitation,  a
     8  system  to  provide  electronic  blind spot assistance, crash avoidance,
     9  emergency braking, parking assistance,  adaptive  cruise  control,  lane
    10  keep  assistance,  lane  departure  warning,  or traffic jam and queuing
    11  assistant, unless any such system alone or  in  combination  with  other
    12  systems  enables  the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed
    13  to drive without the active control or monitoring by a human operator.
    14    § 100-f. Autonomous vehicle. A motor vehicle equipped with  autonomous
    15  technology.
    16    §  2.  The  vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section
    17  507-a to read as follows:
    18    § 507-a. Operation of autonomous vehicles. 1. Any person who  holds  a
    19  class D license or its equivalent may operate an autonomous vehicle upon
    20  a public highway.
    21    2.  Any person who holds a class DJ learner's permit or license or its
    22  equivalent may operate an autonomous vehicle upon a public highway  when
    23  the  person  is  under the immediate supervision and control of either a
    24  person at least eighteen years of age or a person who  holds  a  license
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07060-01-9

        S. 1779                             2
     1  valid  in this state, unless there is a medical emergency which requires
     2  the operation of the autonomous vehicle without  the  supervision  of  a
     3  person  at  least  eighteen years of age or a person who holds a license
     4  valid in this state.
     5    3.  Any person who holds a class DJ learner's permit or license or its
     6  equivalent who violates subdivision two of this section shall  have  his
     7  or her learner's permit or license suspended for  a period of sixty days
     8  pursuant to section five hundred ten-c of this title.
     9    §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    10  have become a law, and shall expire and  be  deemed  repealed  either  6
    11  years  after  such  date or upon a statement from the governor's traffic
    12  safety committee which declares autonomous technology  safe  enough  for
    13  class  DJ  learner's  permit or license holders to operate an autonomous
    14  vehicle without the supervision of a person at least 18 years of age  or
    15  a  person  who  holds  a  license  valid in this state, whichever occurs
    16  first; provided that the governor's traffic safety committee shall noti-
    17  fy the legislative bill drafting commission of the date of such declara-
    18  tion in order that the commission may maintain an  accurate  and  timely
    19  effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New
    20  York  in furtherance of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the
    21  legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
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