Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming has introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act, a legislative effort aimed at advancing the deployment of autonomous vehicles in the United States. As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Lummis is pushing for this bill to move beyond policy discussions and into practical implementation.
“For nearly a decade, Washington has talked about autonomous vehicles without meaningful action,” Lummis stated. “This legislation cuts through the red tape and establishes a clear path forward for getting safe autonomous vehicles on American roads where they can save lives, create jobs, and maintain our technological leadership. Wyoming is a highway state and ensuring that autonomous vehicles are integrated in the safest way possible remains my number one priority.”
The proposed bill focuses on two main areas for advancing autonomous vehicle technology. First, it mandates federal agencies to implement recommendations from a 2016 federal report on autonomous vehicles within one year. This aims to revive progress on previously stagnant policy goals.
Secondly, the legislation outlines a roadmap for achieving commercially viable Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles—advanced systems requiring minimal or no human intervention. The Secretary of Transportation will be responsible for identifying essential needs and regulatory barriers that must be addressed to facilitate widespread deployment.
The full text of the bill is available for public reading.
