Media Advisory: Senator Cortese’s SB 915, Local Oversight on Autonomous Vehicles, To Be Heard in Senate Local Government Committee
WHAT: State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) will present his SB 915, a bill that empowers local governments to protect the public through local governance of autonomous vehicles, to the Senate Local Government Committee. The bill is supported by a growing number of California communities, including the city of Oakland and the counties of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Mateo. Leading U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Adam Schiff has also endorsed SB 915.
WHO:
- State Senator Dave Cortese, Senate District 15.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 17, at 9:00 a.m.
Senator Cortese will be available to speak to the news media after the hearing, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Contact Allen Young at 916-216-5803.
WHERE: 1021 O Street. Room 2200
RSVP: We ask that media RSVP to allen.young@sen.ca.gov.
BACKGROUND: The State of California has granted deployment of autonomous vehicles in the Bay Area and Los Angeles without regard to local jurisdictions or their public safety concerns. Moreover, local law enforcement agencies are unable to ticket autonomous vehicles for moving violations. Meanwhile, driverless robotaxis have been involved in hundreds of accidents in San Francisco alone.
SB 915, the Autonomous Vehicle Service Deployment and Data Transparency Act, integrates local oversight of driverless vehicles into existing regulations governing traditional vehicles without removing state authority. Local resolutions supporting SB 915 demonstrate the growing recognition in communities across California that local input is crucial for safe autonomous vehicle deployment.
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