AV Safety Data Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4376
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Transportation and Public Works
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-14: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2025-07-31T12:06:07Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The AV Safety Data Act (H.R. 4376) aims to enhance safety monitoring for autonomous vehicles by mandating detailed incident reporting to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This improves data collection on vehicle performance, collisions, and operational issues to better assess and regulate automated driving technologies.
Key Provisions
- Reporting Requirements: Within 90 days of enactment, NHTSA must issue regulations requiring "covered entities" (manufacturers or operators subject to the existing Third Amended Standing General Order 2021-01) to submit:
- Information already required under that order (which covers incident reporting for automated driving systems and Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems).
- Monthly reports on the previous month's activities, including:
- Miles traveled on public roads by covered vehicles (vehicles with automated driving systems or Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems), broken down by details like make, model, software version, road type, location, and occupant presence.
- Details on collisions involving covered vehicles that injure "vulnerable road users" (e.g., pedestrians, cyclists) or occupants of other vehicles.
- Information on "unplanned stoppage events" (unexpected halts or interferences caused by the automated system, such as blocking traffic lanes, disrupting public transit, or hindering emergency responders), including vehicle identifiers, location, environmental factors, impacts, resolution time, and any interventions.
- Limits on Level 2 Data: For vehicles with Level 2 systems (partial automation where a human driver must remain attentive), reports can only include data collected while the system is active or in the 30 seconds before an unplanned stoppage, and must exclude personal details about human drivers.
- Public Access: Starting 120 days after enactment, NHTSA must publish all submitted data on its website in an easy-to-use, machine-readable format (like datasets for analysis).
- Future Adjustments: After 10 years, NHTSA may reduce or eliminate these reporting rules, but it can make other changes at any time as long as they align with the law's goals.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Builds on the Third Amended Standing General Order 2021-01 (an NHTSA directive effective June 16, 2025, for reporting crashes and incidents involving automated systems) by adding mandatory monthly mileage and stoppage reports, which were not previously required at this level of detail.
- Introduces public disclosure of data, promoting transparency beyond internal NHTSA use.
- Sets a 10-year sunset provision for potential deregulation, allowing flexibility as technology evolves, while permitting ongoing tweaks.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: NHTSA gains comprehensive, real-time data to monitor autonomous vehicle safety, enabling faster identification of risks and more informed rulemaking. This could increase administrative workload initially for developing and enforcing the new regulations.
- Citizens: Improves road safety by providing better oversight of autonomous vehicles, potentially reducing accidents involving vulnerable users (e.g., pedestrians). Public access to data empowers consumers, researchers, and advocates to evaluate vehicle performance, though it may raise privacy concerns if not handled carefully.
- International Relations: No direct impacts mentioned, but standardized U.S. reporting could influence global autonomous vehicle standards if adopted or referenced abroad.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Covered Entities: Manufacturers (e.g., automakers like Tesla or Waymo) and operators (e.g., ride-sharing companies deploying autonomous fleets) must comply with expanded reporting, increasing operational costs for data collection and submission.
- NHTSA and Regulators: Responsible for implementing, enforcing, and publishing the data, shifting focus toward proactive safety analysis.
- Public and Road Users: Drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and communities benefit from enhanced safety data but may experience indirect effects like traffic disruptions from reported stoppages.
- Emergency and Transit Services: Law enforcement, first responders, and public transit operators could see fewer interferences due to better-monitored vehicles, with their involvement in events now documented.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens NHTSA's authority under existing traffic safety laws (e.g., referencing 23 U.S.C. § 148 for vulnerable road users) without creating new penalties, focusing instead on data-driven enforcement. The 10-year review clause allows adaptation to technological advances, avoiding overly rigid rules.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; reporting requirements are regulatory (not punitive) and exclude personal identifiable information for human drivers, respecting privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment.
- Political: Promotes innovation in autonomous vehicles by balancing safety oversight with future deregulation, potentially appealing to tech industry stakeholders while addressing public concerns about unproven technology on roads. It emphasizes transparency, which could build trust but invite debates over data burdens on businesses.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-14: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-07-14: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-14: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- AV Safety Data Act — issued 2025-07-14 — PDF (7 pages)