Sponsors (2)
The bill promotes greater accessibility and clearer federal rules to accelerate ADS ride‑hail services—benefiting people with disabilities and industry certainty—while raising trade‑offs around worker displacement, reduced local control, implementation costs, privacy risks, and limited clarity on how allocated funds will be used.
People with disabilities will gain clearer, enforceable access to ride‑hail automated driving systems (ADS)—including equal licensing, clearer infrastructure guidance (curbs, pick‑up/drop‑off, sidewalks), and mobility options that reduce travel barriers and increase independence.
Automated vehicle companies and related tech workers get clearer federal terminology and regulatory certainty by adopting SAE J3016 definitions and giving a single federal "Secretary" authority to interpret technical ADS levels, which can lower regulatory risk for deployment and investment.
Commuters in urban areas could see more consistent, predictable regulation for driverless ride‑hail services, potentially supporting broader deployment of accessible on‑demand mobility.
Ride‑hail drivers and other transportation workers face heightened risk of job displacement because the bill explicitly enables driverless dispatched vehicles.
Localities may lose flexibility to regulate ADS operations because federal SAE definitions and the Secretary's interpretive authority can preempt inconsistent local rules, limiting municipal control over curb management, pick‑up/drop‑off zones, and local safety rules.
States and cities could incur administrative costs and face litigation to revise licensing and ADA‑compliance rules (including potential taxpayer‑funded legal expenses) to align with new federal requirements and expanded ADS licensing.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Bars state licensing discrimination against people with disabilities for Level 4–5 driverless ADS vehicles and funds a National Academies study on infrastructure and access improvements, authorizing $5M.
Official title: To prohibit a State from issuing a motor vehicle operator's license for the operation or use of an ADS-equipped vehicle operating at Level 4 or Level 5 in a manner that discriminates on the basis of disability.
Introduced July 15, 2025 by Greg Stanton · Last progress July 15, 2025
Prohibits State licensing practices that would discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in the operation or use of driverless automated driving system (ADS) vehicles at SAE Level 4 or 5. It adopts ADA and federal transportation definitions, references SAE ADS definitions, and directs the Secretary of Transportation to contract with the National Academies for a study on infrastructure and design changes to improve access to ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicles for people with disabilities. The bill authorizes $5 million for that study, available until expended.