Support California bills to regulate AVs
March 24, 2024
Hello Friend and Allies,
To Do:
Three more bills to regulate AVs have been sent to committee, and it’s time for supporters to submit comments in the comments portal, especially for the two that have committee hearing dates. Letters need to be submitted by noon seven (7) days prior to the hearing date. AB 2286 and AB 3061 will be heard in committee on April 15, which means that comments must be submitted by Friday, April 5, 2024, assuming that the instructions mean seven (7) business days. (I don’t know the answer.) SB 915 will be heard in committee on April 3. See the previous blog entry for instructions about submitting comments in support of SB 915.
A. AB 2286: AV trucks — Collision reporting requirements, requiring safety drivers while testing, imposing weight restrictions on testing vehicles, and mandating a report on employment and safety in the transportation sector after five years; to be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on April 15. Governor Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year. The author is Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, among others. Address comments (template provided below) in the comments portal to:
The Hon. Lori Wilson, Chair
Assembly Transportation Committee
1020 N Street, Suite 112
Sacramento, CA 95814
Support: AB 2286
Dear Chair Wilson:
I support AB 2286. I live in San Francisco, ground zero for the roll out of autonomous vehicles. Local officials and residents have been witness to, and the victims of, their disruption. It is important that as this industry expands to trucking that safety drivers remain behind the wheel and that the industry be closely monitored for its impact on jobs and the environment. I urge a yes vote on AB 2286.
Sincerely,
Your name
B. AB 3061: Transparency – Autonomous vehicle incident reporting in a format available to the public; to be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on April 15. The author of this bill is Matt Haney, D-SF. Address comments (template provided below) in the comments portal to:
The Hon. Lori Wilson, Chair
Assembly Transportation Committee
1020 N Street, Suite 112
Sacramento, CA 95814
Support: AB 3061
Dear Chair Wilson:
I support AB 3061. I live in San Francisco, ground zero for autonomous vehicle roll out. As a resident of San Francisco, I know how desperately local officials and residents need more information about these vehicles — how many are there? How do emergency responders communicate quickly and easily with remote operators? How many incidents — ranging from illegal pick ups and drop offs to collisions — involve these vehicles? What are their environmental impacts? The public needs answers. I urge a yes vote on AB 3061.
Sincerely,
Your name
C. AB 1777: Citing moving violations and more — Geofencing and communications between emergency responders and law enforcement and remote operators, citing moving violations; not yet scheduled to be heard in committee, but it has been referred to the Transportation Committee. The author is Assemblymember Phil Ting, D- SF. Address comments (template provided below) in the comments portal to:
The Hon. Lori Wilson, Chair
Assembly Transportation Committee
1020 N Street, Suite 112
Sacramento, CA 95814
Support: AB 1777
Dear Chair Wilson;
I support AB 1777. I live in San Francisco, ground zero for the roll out of autonomous vehicles. If passed into law, AB 1777 would empower law enforcement to ticket companies for the traffic violations of their autonomous vehicles. Currently, San Francisco officials struggle to respond to the problems that autonomous vehicles cause. Those problems range from interference with emergency response vehicles to making illegal stops to pick up and discharge passengers, potentially causing congestion and posing safety hazards. Those problems are likely to be exacerbated as more companies flood streets in San Francisco and nearby communities with their vehicles, since the California Public Utilities Commission has now authorized the operation of autonomous vehicle passenger services up and down the peninsula from San Jose to San Francisco. Law enforcement must have the power to ticket autonomous vehicles for vehicle code violations. I urge a yes vote on AB 1777.
Sincerely,
Your name
