Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1592

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

begin insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Travis Allen, Baker, and Obernolte)

end insert

January 6, 2016

An act to add Section 38755 to the Vehicle Code, relating to autonomous vehicles.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1592, as amended, Bonilla. Autonomous vehicles: pilot project.

Existing law permits the operation of an autonomous vehicle on public roads for testing purposes if, among other requirements, begin delete the end delete begin insert a end insert driver is seated in the driver’s seat and is capable of taking immediate manual control of the vehicle in the event of an autonomous technology failure or other emergency.

This bill would, notwithstanding the above provision, authorize the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to conduct a pilot project for the testing of autonomous vehicles that begin insert do not have an operator and end insert are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, begin insert or end insert an begin delete accelerator, or an operator inside the vehicle, end delete begin insert accelerator end insert if the testing is conducted only at specified locations and the autonomous vehicle operates at speeds of less than 35 miles per hour.

This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Contra Costa Transportation Authority.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 38755 is added to the Vehicle Code, to
read:

38755.  

Notwithstanding Section 38750, the Contra Costa
Transportation Authority is authorized to conduct a pilot project
for the testing of autonomous vehicles that begin insert do not have an operator
and end insert are not equipped with a steering wheel, a brake pedal, begin insert or end insert an
begin delete accelerator, or an operator inside the vehicle, end delete begin insert accelerator end insert provided
the following requirements are met:

(a) The testing shall be conducted only at a privately owned
business begin delete office end delete park designated by the authority, inclusive of public
roads within the designated begin delete office end delete begin insert business end insert park, and at begin delete the end delete
GoMentum Station begin delete at the end delete begin insert located within the boundaries of the
former end insert Concord Naval Weapons Station.

(b) The autonomous vehicle shall operate at speeds of less than
35 miles per hour.

begin insert

(c) A change in ownership of the property comprising the
GoMentum Station shall not affect the authorization to conduct
testing pursuant to this section.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

The Legislature finds and declares that a special law
is necessary and that a general law cannot be made applicable
within the meaning of Section 16 of Article IV of the California
Constitution. Because of the need to limit the scope of testing of
new autonomous vehicle begin delete technology end delete begin insert technology, end insert it is necessary
to limit authorization for the establishment of a pilot project to the
Contra Costa Transportation Authority.