A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The AMERICA DRIVES Act seeks to amend title 49 of the United States Code regarding automated driving systems. It clarifies that commercial motor vehicles equipped with Level 4 or Level 5 automated driving systems can operate in interstate commerce without a human driver or remote human driver on board. The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue necessary regulations and address specific regulatory sections to integrate these systems into commercial operations. It also aims to streamline regulations such as hours of service, drug testing, and commercial driver's license requirements for these vehicles. Additionally, the bill ensures regulatory parity and flexibility for safety technologies.
Yes
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill provides operational efficiencies and regulatory clarity for motor carriers and logistics businesses.
- Scored +3
Is this likely to create jobs?
By allowing driverless commercial operation, the bill facilitates the integration of automated systems into the logistics industry.
- Scored +2
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill reduces regulatory burdens and ensures parity for motor carriers using automated driving systems.
The opposite
- Scored -6
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill facilitates the transition to driverless commercial vehicles, which may impact the demand for human drivers.
- Scored -4
Does this leave more decisions to the states?
The bill uses federal preemption to prevent states from requiring human occupants in automated commercial vehicles.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Commercial Vehicle Operation Efficiency: A commercial motor vehicle equipped with a Level 4 or Level 5 ADS may be operated in interstate commerce without a human driver on board or a remote human driver (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Streamlined Regulations: The Secretary of Transportation is directed to update regulations that currently apply only to human drivers—such as hours of service, drug testing, electronic logging devices, commercial driver's licenses, and physical qualification requirements—to clarify they do not apply to an ADS or an ADS-equipped vehicle operating without a human driver (Section 3(a)(1)).
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Regulatory Parity: The Secretary is prohibited from issuing regulations that unduly burden motor carriers operating ADS-equipped vehicles or discriminate against them compared to other commercial motor vehicles (Section 3(b)).
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Safety Technology Flexibility: The law includes an exclusion so that the width calculated for certain regulations does not include automated driving system technologies or equipment (Section 3(c)).
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Permissible Warning Devices: Regulations will be applied to include cab-mounted warning beacons as a permissible warning device (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly detailed within the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — By allowing driverless commercial operation, the bill facilitates the integration of automated systems into the logistics industry. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill reduces regulatory burdens and ensures parity for motor carriers using automated driving systems.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this leave more decisions to the states? — The bill uses federal preemption to prevent states from requiring human occupants in automated commercial vehicles.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill provides operational efficiencies and regulatory clarity for motor carriers and logistics businesses. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill facilitates the transition to driverless commercial vehicles, which may impact the demand for human drivers.
- 12/15/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/16/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/24/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
- 7/23/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Introduced in House
Kevin KileyIndependent · California
Jay ObernolteRepublican · California