House Study Bill 598 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON JONES) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the operation of driverless-capable 1 vehicles, including associated civil and criminal liability, 2 and making penalties applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5993YC (5) 91 th/ns

H.F. _____ 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 shall not operate without a conventional human driver. 25 Sec. 2. Section 321.515, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 26 2026, is amended to read as follows: 27 b. An automated driving system, while engaged, shall be 28 designed to operate within the system’s operational design 29 domain and in compliance with the applicable traffic and 30 motor vehicle safety laws and regulations of this state that 31 govern the performance of the dynamic driving task, unless an 32 exemption has been granted to the vehicle by the department. 33 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION . 321.515A Civil and criminal liability. 34 1. The owner of a driverless-capable vehicle is deemed to 35 -1- LSB 5993YC (5) 91 th/ns 1/ 3

H.F. _____ be operating the vehicle while the automated driving system is 1 engaged and shall be liable for all of the following: 2 a. Personal injury, death, or property damage that results 3 in connection with the operation of the vehicle. 4 b. Violations of traffic or motor vehicle safety laws and 5 regulations of this state, including but not limited to as 6 described in section 321.517. 7 2. A person who modifies an automated driving system of a 8 driverless-capable vehicle without the manufacturer’s consent 9 shall be liable for any damage related to the operation of the 10 vehicle. However, if the owner of the vehicle directed the 11 person to modify the system, the owner shall be liable. 12 EXPLANATION 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 14 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 15 Under current law, a driverless-capable vehicle equipped 16 with an automated driving system and meeting certain 17 requirements is authorized to operate on highways while 18 performing all real-time operational and tactical functions 19 (dynamic driving task) regardless of whether a conventional 20 human driver is present in the vehicle. The operation of a 21 driverless-capable vehicle is governed by Code sections 321.514 22 through 321.519 and all applicable traffic and motor vehicle 23 safety laws. 24 This bill prohibits a driverless-capable vehicle 25 transporting hazardous material from operating without a 26 conventional human driver. “Hazardous material” is defined for 27 purposes of Code chapter 321 as a substance or material which 28 has been determined by the U.S. secretary of transportation to 29 be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, 30 and property when transported in commerce, and which has been 31 so designated. By operation of law, a person who violates this 32 provision commits a simple misdemeanor pursuant to Code section 33 321.482. A simple misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for 34 no more than 30 days and a fine of at least $105 but not more 35 -2- LSB 5993YC (5) 91 th/ns 2/ 3

H.F. _____ than $855. 1 Under current law, an automated driving system that is 2 capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task must be 3 designed to operate within the system’s operational design 4 domain in compliance with the applicable traffic and motor 5 vehicle safety laws and regulations that govern the performance 6 of the dynamic driving task, unless an exemption has been 7 granted to the vehicle by the department of transportation. 8 The bill rephrases this provision to require the system to 9 operate within the system’s operational design domain rather 10 than be designed to operate in that manner. 11 The bill imputes liability to the owner of a 12 driverless-capable vehicle for personal injury, death, 13 or property damage that results in connection with the 14 operation of the vehicle and for violations of traffic or motor 15 vehicle safety laws and regulations. A person who modifies 16 an automated driving system of a driverless-capable vehicle 17 without the manufacturer’s consent is liable for any damage 18 related to the operation of the vehicle, unless the owner of 19 the vehicle directed the person to modify the system, in which 20 case the owner is liable. 21 -3- LSB 5993YC (5) 91 th/ns 3/ 3