Alaska 34th Alaska State Legislature Status: Passed House

HB 217 — An Act relating to commercial motor vehicle licensing examinations; regulating autonomous vehicles; and providing for an effective date.

Last action — (S) REFERRED TO RULES

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the House. Introduced May 02, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 46% · moderate confidence

  • Passed House

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill regulates commercial motor vehicle licensing and the use of autonomous vehicles in Alaska.

This bill modifies the requirements for commercial motor vehicle driving tests, allowing applicants to retake only failed portions. It also sets regulations for autonomous vehicles, including operational standards and requirements for a human safety operator.

What this means for you
  • Small Business: This bill may affect small businesses using autonomous vehicles by setting regulations for their operation.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

62 added · 76 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of Bill HB 217 has removed the specification that the autonomous vehicle must weigh 10,000 pounds or less and be designed to transport no more than 16 passengers, including the driver. This change broadens the scope of the bill to include more types of autonomous vehicles, which is significant as it allows for the regulation of a wider range of vehicles that could be used on public roads. Additionally, the previous version had an exception for personal delivery devices, which has also been removed, simplifying the language around the bill's application. Overall, these changes could potentially impact how autonomous vehicles are regulated, making it easier for various models to be included under the same legal framework.

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Latest
34-LS0950\N CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO.
34-LS0950\A HOUSE BILL NO.
217(TRA) IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION BY THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Referred:
217 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION BY THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE Introduced:
Community and Regional Affairs Sponsor(s):
5/2/25 Referred:
HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act regulating autonomous vehicles;
Transportation, Community and Regional Affairs A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED "An Act regulating autonomous vehicles;
(b) An autonomous vehicle registered in this state may not be engaged in the transport of interstate commerce, goods, or passengers unless (1) the transport is for personal, noncommercial use, has a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less, and is designed to transport not more than 16 passengers, including the driver;
(b) An autonomous vehicle registered in this state may not be engaged in the transport of interstate commerce, goods, or passengers unless (1) the transport is for personal, noncommercial use;
(c) A human safety operator must meet federal and state requirements for HB0217b -1- CSHB 217(TRA) New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0950\N operating autonomous and nonautonomous vehicles.
(c) A human safety operator must meet federal and state requirements for operating autonomous and nonautonomous vehicles.
(d) In the event of a motor vehicle accident involving an autonomous vehicle, the human safety operator of the autonomous vehicle is presumed liable for injury or damage caused by the operation of the vehicle unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the vehicle's software or hardware or a modification to the vehicle caused the accident to occur.
(d) In the event of a motor vehicle accident involving an autonomous vehicle, HB0217a -1- HB 217 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0950\A the human safety operator of the autonomous vehicle is presumed liable for injury or damage caused by the operation of the vehicle unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the vehicle's software or hardware or a modification to the vehicle caused the accident to occur.
(e) The requirements of this section do not apply to a personal delivery device that (1) is electrically powered;
(e) In this section, (1) "autonomous technology" does not include collision avoidance systems, electric blind spot assistance, automated emergency braking systems, park assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist or lane departure warning systems, traffic jam and queuing assist, or other systems that enhance safety or provide driver assistance that are not capable, singularly or collectively, of driving the vehicle without the active control or monitoring of a human safety operator;
(2) is operated on a sidewalk or path within the right-of-way of a highway;
(2) "autonomous vehicle" means a vehicle equipped with autonomous technology that has the capability to drive a vehicle without active physical control or monitoring by a human safety operator that has been integrated into that vehicle and is considered to have conditional driving automation, high driving automation, or full driving automation;
(3) is intended primarily to transport property;
(4) weighs less than 120 pounds, excluding cargo;
(5) has a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour;
and (6) is equipped with technology to allow for operation of the device with or without the active control or monitoring of an operator who monitors or exercises direct physical control over the navigation system and operation of the device.
(f) In this section, (1) "autonomous technology" does not include collision avoidance systems, electronic blind spot assistance, automated emergency braking systems, park assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist or lane departure warning systems, traffic jam and queuing assist, or other systems that enhance safety or provide driver assistance that are not capable, singularly or collectively, of driving the vehicle without the active control or monitoring of a human safety operator;
(2) "autonomous vehicle" means a vehicle equipped with autonomous technology that has the capability to drive a vehicle without active physical control or monitoring by a human safety operator that has been integrated into that vehicle and is considered to have conditional driving automation, high driving automation, or full CSHB 217(TRA) -2- HB0217b New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0950\N driving automation;
(5) "dynamic driving task fallback" means the response by the human safety operator to perform the dynamic driving task or achieve a stable, stopped condition in order to reduce the risk of a crash after a dynamic driving task system failure, an operational design domain exit, or a response by the automated driving system;
(5) "dynamic driving task fallback" means the response by the human safety operator to perform the dynamic driving task or achieve a stable, stopped condition in order to reduce the risk of a crash after a dynamic driving task system failure, an operational design domain exit, or a response by the automated driving HB 217 -2- HB0217a New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] 34-LS0950\A system;
HB0217b -3- CSHB 217(TRA) New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
HB0217a -3- HB 217 New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
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Action History

  1. (S) REFERRED TO RULES

  2. (S) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  3. (S) DP: GRAY-JACKSON

  4. (S) DNP: BJORKMAN, TILTON

  5. (S) STA RPT SCS(STA) 2DNP 1DP

  6. (S) Moved SCS CSHB 217(TRA) Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --

  7. (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  8. (S) Heard & Held

  9. (S) STATE AFFAIRS at 03:30 PM BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)

  10. (S) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  11. (S) NR: BJORKMAN, KIEHL, STEDMAN, TOBIN

  12. (S) TRA RPT SCS 4NR SAME TITLE

  13. (S) Moved SCS CSHB 217(TRA) Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change --

  14. (S) TRANSPORTATION at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  15. (S) STA REFERRAL ADDED AFTER TRA

  16. (S) Heard & Held

  17. (S) TRANSPORTATION at 01:30 PM BUTROVICH 205

  18. (S) TRA

  19. (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

  20. (H) VERSION: CSHB 217(CRA) AM

  21. (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)

  22. (H) RECONSIDERATION NOT TAKEN UP

  23. (H) JOHNSON NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION

  24. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE

  25. (H) PASSED Y39 E1

  26. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSHB 217(CRA) AM

  27. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 4/30 CALENDAR

  28. (H) ...CHANGES TITLE OF LEGISLATION

  29. (H) AM NO 1 ADOPTED UC

  30. (H) CRA CS ADOPTED UC

  31. (H) READ THE SECOND TIME

  32. (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 4/29/2026

  33. (H) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  34. (H) AM: ST. CLAIR

  35. (H) DP: HOLLAND, PRAX, G.NELSON, HALL, HIMSCHOOT, MEARS

  36. (H) CRA RPT CS(CRA) 6DP 1AM

  37. (H) Moved CSHB 217(CRA) Out of Committee

  38. (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  39. (H) Heard & Held -- Delayed to 9:00 am --

  40. (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  41. (H) Heard & Held

  42. (H) COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS at 08:00 AM BARNES 124

  43. (H) FN1: ZERO(ADM)

  44. (H) NR: MCCABE, MINA

  45. (H) DP: G.NELSON, ST. CLAIR, CARRICK, EISCHEID

  46. (H) TRA RPT CS(TRA) 4DP 2NR

  47. (H) Moved CSHB 217(TRA) Out of Committee

  48. (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  49. (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  50. (H) Heard & Held

  51. (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  52. (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  53. (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change --

  54. (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:30 PM BARNES 124

  55. (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  56. (H) Heard & Held -- Testimony <Invitation Only> --

  57. (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  58. (H) Minutes (HTRA)

  59. (H) Heard & Held

  60. (H) TRANSPORTATION at 01:00 PM BARNES 124

  61. (H) TRA, CRA

  62. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Sponsors

  • House Transportation · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 64 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • House Transportation

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (64)

64 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 64 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Third Reading — Final Passage

Passed 39 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 1000
R 19001
D 14000
N 5000
Total 39001
% of votes cast 98%0%0%3%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Steve St. Clair — Yea
Andi Story D Yea
Andrew Gray D Yea
Andy Josephson D Yea
Ashley Carrick D Yea
Carolyn Hall D Yea
Donna Mears D Yea
Genevieve Mina D Yea
Maxine Dibert D Yea
Neal Foster D Yea
Nellie Unangiq Jimmie D Yea
Robyn Niayuq Frier D Yea
Sara Hannan D Yea
Ted Eischeid D Yea
Zack Fields D Yea
Alyse Galvin N Yea
Bryce Edgmon N Yea
Calvin Schrage N Yea
Ky Holland N Yea
Rebecca Himschoot N Yea
Bill Elam R Yea
Chuck Kopp R Yea
Dan Saddler R Yea
David Nelson R Not Voting
David Nelson R Yea
DeLena Johnson R Yea
Elexie Moore R Yea
Frank Tomaszewski R Yea
Jamie Allard R Yea
Jeremy Bynum R Yea
Jubilee Underwood R Yea
Julie Coulombe R Yea
Justin Ruffridge R Yea
Kevin McCabe R Yea
Louise Stutes R Yea
Mia Costello R Yea
Mike Prax R Yea
Rebecca Schwanke R Yea
Sarah Vance R Yea
Will Stapp R Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

transportation technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 217?
HB 217 is sponsored by House Transportation.
What is the current status of HB 217?
This bill has passed the House. Introduced May 02, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track HB 217?
Track HB 217 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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