Senator Cortese statement on the ‘Gutting’ of Key Vehicle Safety Legislation: SB 915
Editors note: Unfortunately legislation SB 915 had to be pulled by the author. It would have allowed local jurisdictions to actual control their local streets and to enact reasonable regulations for autonomous vehicles. So that everyone can be fully informed on why the legislation was pulled and will be resubmitted in the future, we are providing the press release from Senator Cortese. We also want to thank Senator Cortese for efforts in ensuring safety of AVs.
From: Lechner, Kian
Sent: Thursday, June 20, 2024 11:00 AM
To: Capitol – District 15 (SC15)
Subject: Press Release: Senator Cortese’s Statement on the ‘Gutting’ of Key Vehicle Safety Legislation: SB 915
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2024
Contact:
Kian Lechner, Director of Communications
Office of Senator Dave Cortese, District 15
Phone: 408 409 5041 | Email: Kian.Lechner@sen.ca.gov
SENATOR CORTESE’S STATEMENT ON THE ‘GUTTING’ OF KEY VEHICLE SAFETY LEGISLATION: SB 915
“This week, my bill on autonomous vehicles, SB 915, hit a roadblock after it became clear that the bill’s essential element of local control was being stripped out by the Assembly Transportation Committee. The proposal to strip city and county officials of their power to regulate robotaxis fundamentally undermines the purpose of this legislation and the safety and well-being of our communities.
As a former big city vice-mayor and former president of the Board of Supervisors of the county known colloquially as ‘Silicon Valley,’ I embrace technology. I also know how critical local control of the roads is in keeping the community safe. Our local law enforcement agencies and governments have long had the authority to govern how vehicles use their roads, airport pickup and drop-off zones, urban centers and school and fire zones to name a few. This should not change simply because the commercial driver is now a robot or computer chip. If anything, that makes the need for local control and accountability greater than ever as we’ve already seen with so many tragic incidents.
While being forced to pull this important bill was disheartening, I remain committed to this cause and will reintroduce SB 915 at the beginning of the next two-year session. I hope that, in the meantime, our communities do not suffer too much in terms of injuries and community damages due to the current regulatory gaps.
The safety of our streets and the well-being of our local communities including small children, pedestrians, first responders, and human drivers must remain our top priority, and I will continue to fight for the local governance necessary to ensure the responsible use of all vehicles—human-piloted or not.” – Senator Dave Cortese, Chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation
Senator Dave Cortese represents Senate District 15, which encompasses San Jose and much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Visit Senator Cortese’s website: https://sd15.senate.ca.gov
