House File 2673 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2673 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 598) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the operation of driverless-capable vehicles 1 transporting hazardous materials, and making penalties 2 applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5993HV (2) 91 th/ns
H.F. 2673 Section 1. Section 321.515, subsection 1, Code 2026, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. a. A Except as provided in paragraph “b” , a 3 driverless-capable vehicle may operate on the public highways 4 of this state without a conventional human driver physically 5 present in the vehicle, if the vehicle meets all of the 6 following conditions: 7 a. (1) The vehicle is capable of achieving a minimal risk 8 condition if a malfunction of the automated driving system 9 occurs that renders the system unable to perform the entire 10 dynamic driving task within the system’s intended operational 11 design domain, if any. 12 b. (2) While in driverless operation, the vehicle is 13 capable of operating in compliance with the applicable traffic 14 and motor vehicle safety laws and regulations of this state 15 that govern the performance of the dynamic driving task, unless 16 an exemption has been granted to the vehicle by the department. 17 c. (3) The vehicle has been certified by the vehicle’s 18 manufacturer to be in compliance with all applicable federal 19 motor vehicle safety standards, except to the extent an 20 exemption has been granted for the vehicle under applicable 21 federal law or by the national highway traffic safety 22 administration. 23 b. A driverless-capable vehicle transporting hazardous 24 material, as defined in section 321.1, subsection 31, shall not 25 operate without a conventional human driver. 26 EXPLANATION 27 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 28 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 29 Under current law, a driverless-capable vehicle equipped 30 with an automated driving system and meeting certain 31 requirements is authorized to operate on highways while 32 performing all real-time operational and tactical functions 33 (dynamic driving task) regardless of whether a conventional 34 human driver is present in the vehicle. The operation of a 35 -1- LSB 5993HV (2) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
H.F. 2673 driverless-capable vehicle is governed by Code sections 321.514 1 through 321.519 and all applicable traffic and motor vehicle 2 safety laws. 3 This bill prohibits a driverless-capable vehicle 4 transporting hazardous material from operating without a 5 conventional human driver. “Hazardous material” is defined for 6 purposes of Code chapter 321 as a substance or material which 7 has been determined by the U.S. secretary of transportation to 8 be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, 9 and property when transported in commerce, and which has been 10 so designated. By operation of law, a person who violates this 11 provision commits a simple misdemeanor pursuant to Code section 12 321.482. A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for 13 no more than 30 days and a fine of at least $105 but not more 14 than $855. 15 -2- LSB 5993HV (2) 91 th/ns 2/ 2