California 2011-2012 Regular Session Status: Enacted 1 D cosponsors

SB 1298 — Vehicles: autonomous vehicles: safety and performance requirements.

Last action — Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 570, Statutes of 2012.

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 23, 2012. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 7 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Existing law requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to adopt rules and regulations that are designed to promote the safe operation of specific vehicles, including, among other things, schoolbuses and commercial motor vehicles. Existing law also requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to register vehicles that are being operated in this state and to issue a license plate to an applicant for the operation and identification of that person's vehicle. This bill would authorize the operation of an autonomous vehicle, as defined, on public roads for testing purposes, by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle being operated if specified requirements are met, including that the driver be seated in the driver's seat, monitoring the safe operation of the autonomous vehicle, and capable of taking over immediate manual control of the autonomous vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. The bill would prohibit, except as provided for testing purposes, the operation of such a vehicle on public roads until the manufacturer submits an application to the department that includes various certifications, including a certification that the autonomous technology satisfies certain requirements, and the application is approved by the department pursuant to the regulations that the department would be required to adopt. The bill would require one of the certifications to specify that the autonomous vehicle's technology meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the vehicle's model year and all other applicable safety standards and performance requirements set forth in state and federal law and the regulations promulgated pursuant to those laws. The bill would require that the Department of Motor Vehicles adopt regulations as soon as practicable, but no later than January 1, 2015, setting forth requirements for the submission of evidence of insurance, surety bond, or self-insurance required by the bill and requirements for the submission or approval of an application to operate an autonomous vehicle, including any testing, equipment, or performance standards, as specified, and to hold public hearings on the adoption of any regulation applicable to the operation of an autonomous vehicle without the presence of a driver inside the vehicle. The bill would provide that federal regulations promulgated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration supersede state law or regulation when found to be in conflict. The bill would require the department to approve an application submitted by a manufacturer upon making specified findings and would authorize the department to impose additional requirements if the application seeks approval for autonomous vehicles where there is no person in the driver's seat. The bill would also require the department to notify the Legislature of the receipt of an application from a manufacturer seeking approval to operate an autonomous vehicle capable of operating without the presence of a driver inside the vehicle and the approval of the application. The bill would provide that approval of the application is effective no sooner than 180 days after the date the application is submitted. The department would be authorized to charge a fee for the application in an amount necessary to recover all costs reasonably incurred by the department.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 570, Statutes of 2012.

  2. Approved by the Governor.

  3. Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

  4. Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 33. Noes 0. Page 4980.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

  5. In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

  6. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 74. Noes 2. Page 6459.) Ordered to the Senate.

  7. Ordered to third reading.

  8. Read third time and amended. (Ayes 51. Noes 25. Page 6262.)

  9. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  10. Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.

  11. From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (August 16).

  12. Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  13. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 2).

  15. Testimony taken. Hearing postponed by committee.

  16. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

  17. Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  18. Referred to Com. on TRANS.

  19. In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  20. Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 3555.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  21. Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  22. From committee: Be placed on second reading file pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

  23. Set for hearing May 14.

  24. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  25. Withdrawn from committee.

  26. Re-referred to Com. on INS.

  27. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS.

  28. From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on RLS. (Ayes 8. Noes 0. Page 3123.) (April 10).

  29. From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on T. & H.

  30. Set for hearing April 10.

  31. Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.

  32. Set for hearing March 27.

  33. Referred to Com. on T. & H.

  34. From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 25.

  35. Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 121 not signed on · 4 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (121)

121 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 121 →

"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

Unfinished Business SB1298 Padilla Concurrence

Passed 33 Yea · 0 Nay · 7 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 30007
Republican 1000
Democratic 2000
Total 33007
% of votes cast 83%0%0%18%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Fuller — Yea
Harman — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
De León — Yea
Negrete McLeod — Yea
Blakeslee — Yea
DeSaulnier — Yea
Simitian — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Wright — Yea
Wyland — Not Voting
Rubio — Yea
Evans — Yea
Runner — Not Voting
Hancock — Not Voting
Cannella — Not Voting
Lieu — Not Voting
Alquist — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Pavley — Not Voting
Vargas — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Huff — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Leno — Yea
Liu — Yea
Price — Yea
Walters — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
Correa — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Not Voting
La Malfa — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SB 1298 Padilla Senate Third Reading By BLUMENFIELD

Passed 74 Yea · 2 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 72104
Republican 1100
Democratic 1000
Total 74204
% of votes cast 93%3%0%5%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Hall — Yea
Feuer — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Garrick — Yea
Butler — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Gorell — Yea
Hagman — Yea
Fong — Yea
Allen — Yea
Harkey — Yea
Hayashi — Yea
Hill — Yea
Carter — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Huber — Yea
Fletcher — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Alejo — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Conway — Yea
Cook — Yea
Davis — Yea
Jeffries — Yea
Knight — Yea
Logue — Yea
Nestande — Yea
Nielsen — Yea
Olsen — Yea
Pan — Yea
Perea — Yea
Silva — Yea
Smyth — Yea
Torres — Yea
Valadao — Yea
Williams — Yea
Campos — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Atkins — Yea
John A. Pérez — Not Voting
Halderman — Nay
Donnelly — Not Voting
Lara — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Miller — Yea
Monning — Yea
Morrell — Yea
Solorio — Yea
Achadjian — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Beall — Yea
Block — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Not Voting
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Ma — Yea
Mansoor — Not Voting
Norby — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Wieckowski — Yea
Eng — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea
Roger Hernández — Yea
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Yea

Official roll call →

SB 1298 Padilla Senate Third Reading By BLUMENFIELD Amend By BLUMENFIELD Set #1

Passed 51 Yea · 25 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 502304
Democratic 1000
Republican 0200
Total 512504
% of votes cast 64%31%0%5%
How each member voted (80)
Member Party Vote
Gorell — Nay
Halderman — Not Voting
Atkins — Yea
Campos — Yea
Garrick — Nay
Hagman — Nay
Conway — Nay
Harkey — Nay
Donnelly — Nay
Jeffries — Nay
Knight — Nay
Lara — Yea
Miller — Nay
Monning — Yea
Morrell — Nay
Nestande — Nay
Nielsen — Nay
Olsen — Nay
Silva — Nay
Smyth — Nay
Solorio — Yea
Valadao — Nay
Wagner — Nay
Wieckowski — Yea
Williams — Not Voting
Fuentes — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Butler — Yea
Gordon — Yea
Hall — Yea
Hayashi — Yea
Huber — Yea
Hueso — Yea
Fong — Yea
Huffman — Yea
Allen — Yea
Mendoza — Yea
Portantino — Yea
John A. Pérez — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Fletcher — Yea
Pan — Yea
Perea — Yea
Carter — Yea
Skinner — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Ammiano — Yea
Beall — Yea
Block — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Chesbro — Yea
Davis — Yea
Dickinson — Yea
Swanson — Yea
Torres — Yea
Achadjian — Nay
Alejo — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Bradford — Yea
Brownley — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Hill — Yea
Logue — Nay
Ma — Yea
Mansoor — Nay
Norby — Nay
Cook — Not Voting
Eng — Yea
Feuer — Yea
Yamada — Yea
Beth Gaines — Nay
Bill Berryhill — Nay
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea
Roger Hernández — Not Voting
V. Manuel Pérez — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Grove, Shannon Republican Nay
Jones, Brian W. Republican Nay

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended.

Passed 12 Yea · 0 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11005
Democratic 1000
Total 12005
% of votes cast 71%0%0%29%
How each member voted (17)
Member Party Vote
Hall — Yea
Fuentes — Yea
Campos — Yea
Gatto — Yea
Harkey — Not Voting
Hill — Yea
Mitchell — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Cedillo — Yea
Davis — Yea
Donnelly — Not Voting
Nielsen — Not Voting
Solorio — Yea
Wagner — Not Voting
Bradford — Yea
Norby — Not Voting
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea

Official roll call →

Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

Passed 13 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 13001
Total 13001
% of votes cast 93%0%0%7%
How each member voted (14)
Member Party Vote
Eng — Yea
Bonilla — Yea
Galgiani — Yea
Portantino — Yea
Jeffries — Not Voting
Miller — Yea
Norby — Yea
Achadjian — Yea
Blumenfield — Yea
Buchanan — Yea
Logue — Yea
Solorio — Yea
Furutani — Yea
Bonnie Lowenthal — Yea

Official roll call →

3rd Reading

Passed 37 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 34003
Republican 1000
Democratic 2000
Total 37003
% of votes cast 93%0%0%8%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Yee — Yea
Hancock — Yea
Hernandez — Yea
Blakeslee — Yea
Liu — Yea
Simitian — Yea
Wolk — Yea
Lowenthal — Yea
De León — Yea
Negrete McLeod — Yea
Rubio — Yea
Evans — Yea
Runner — Not Voting
Fuller — Yea
Cannella — Yea
Harman — Not Voting
Leno — Yea
Anderson — Yea
Corbett — Yea
Dutton — Yea
Price — Yea
Vargas — Yea
Wright — Yea
Alquist — Yea
Huff — Yea
Kehoe — Yea
Lieu — Yea
Pavley — Yea
Steinberg — Yea
Walters — Yea
Wyland — Yea
Emmerson — Yea
Correa — Not Voting
DeSaulnier — Yea
Beth Gaines — Yea
Bill Berryhill — Yea
La Malfa — Yea
Calderon, Lisa Democratic Yea
Padilla, Stephen C. Democratic Yea
Strickland, Tony Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

transportation technology
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Frequently asked questions

What does SB 1298 do?
Existing law requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to adopt rules and regulations that are designed to promote the safe operation of specific vehicles, including, among other things, schoolbuses and commercial motor vehicles. Existing law also requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to register vehicles that are being operated in this state and to issue a license plate to an applicant for the operation and identification of that person's vehicle. This bill would authorize the operation of an autonomous vehicle, as defined, on public roads for testing purposes, by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle being operated if specified requirements are met, including that the driver be seated in the driver's seat, monitoring the safe operation of the autonomous vehicle, and capable of taking over immediate manual control of the autonomous vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency. The bill would prohibit, except as provided for testing purposes, the operation of such a vehicle on public roads until the manufacturer submits an application to the department that includes various certifications, including a certification that the autonomous technology satisfies certain requirements, and the application is approved by the department pursuant to the regulations that the department would be required to adopt. The bill would require one of the certifications to specify that the autonomous vehicle's technology meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for the vehicle's model year and all other applicable safety standards and performance requirements set forth in state and federal law and the regulations promulgated pursuant to those laws. The bill would require that the Department of Motor Vehicles adopt regulations as soon as practicable, but no later than January 1, 2015, setting forth requirements for the submission of evidence of insurance, surety bond, or self-insurance required by the bill and requirements for the submission or approval of an application to operate an autonomous vehicle, including any testing, equipment, or performance standards, as specified, and to hold public hearings on the adoption of any regulation applicable to the operation of an autonomous vehicle without the presence of a driver inside the vehicle. The bill would provide that federal regulations promulgated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration supersede state law or regulation when found to be in conflict. The bill would require the department to approve an application submitted by a manufacturer upon making specified findings and would authorize the department to impose additional requirements if the application seeks approval for autonomous vehicles where there is no person in the driver's seat. The bill would also require the department to notify the Legislature of the receipt of an application from a manufacturer seeking approval to operate an autonomous vehicle capable of operating without the presence of a driver inside the vehicle and the approval of the application. The bill would provide that approval of the application is effective no sooner than 180 days after the date the application is submitted. The department would be authorized to charge a fee for the application in an amount necessary to recover all costs reasonably incurred by the department.
Who sponsors SB 1298?
SB 1298 is sponsored by Padilla, Stephen C. (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 1298?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 23, 2012. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 1298?
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