The Texas Senate Committee on Transportation held a hearing last week to discuss the revamping of its 2017 law that regulates autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the state. 

Representatives for the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (Auto Innovators) said the 2017 law helped bring the autonomous industry to Texas. They said the early regulatory standards set by SB2205 guided companies on how to operate. 

Nick Steingart, Auto Innovators director of state affairs, said 17 companies have deployed or tested autonomous driving on Texas roads. This includes autonomous trucking, traditional automakers, and AV startups. 

Auto Innovators was in support of the 2017 bill and always knew it would evolve as the technology matured, Steingart said. 

Steingart asked the legislators to consider a few key points as they moved forward with future regulations. This includes allowing the federal government to regulate design structure and safety standards while the state government regulates the operation of vehicles, licensing regulations, and rules of the road, he said. 

He also asked the state to keep the regulations directed at autonomous fleets and to clarify that the same would not exist for personal AVs. 

AVIA General Counsel Ariel Wolf said that Texas has been a proven success story for the autonomous industry. He said the regulations Texas developed have been adopted by states around the nation. 

He said AVIA supports regulation adjustments that allow the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to suspend or revoke the registration of AVs in certain circumstances. It also supports giving the DMV the authority to review AV registrations. 

Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-14) asked what the best practices are for AVs and first responders. 

“Many of our first responder communities, this is new territory to them, and they’re not quite sure how to handle an AV or pulling over an AV. What do you do? If an AV is in an accident, what do you do?” 

Wolf said AV companies should be able to submit a proposal that includes a first responder interaction plan. 

“The idea would be that the plan is submitted to police in advance,” Wolf said. 

Eckhardt also asked if there is another state model that Texas should review. Wolf mentioned Arizona as a concept that Texas should explore. 

Wolf said 22 other states have adopted constructs similar to Texas. There is general authorization for testing and development in 34 states. He added that no state has prohibited AVs. 

California is currently going through a regulatory update, the same as Texas, Wolf said. 

Committee Chairman Sen. Robert Nichols (R-3) said he wants the autonomous industry to continue thriving. 

“We want them to continue coming to Texas,” Nichols said. “However, working on the assumption that all are good operators and good stewards of safety. Everybody is not as safe as others. If someone chooses not to be a safe provider, then the state needs to be able to be in a position to step in and have a set of rules to follow. That is the process that we have begun.” 

Nichols said the state has time to create regulatory additions to the law. He said more workshops can be held on the subject as needed. 

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Texas Sen. Robert Nichols (R-3) leads discussions during a Senate Committee on Transportation hearing on autonomous vehicles. (Screenshot from The Texas Senate Streaming Video Player)