Sponsors (2)
The bill raises safety for vulnerable road users and gives manufacturers and regulators clearer timelines, at the cost of higher manufacturer and consumer expenses and potential constraints on testing and future AEB capability improvements.
Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, wheelchair users, seniors, and children gain stronger protection because AEB systems will be required to detect and respond to vulnerable road users across daylight and low‑light conditions, diverse skin tones and clothing, and full pedestrian‑speed ranges—reducing collisions involving these users.
Vehicle manufacturers, regulators, and states get clearer regulatory timelines (180‑day initiation, 2‑year final rule, 2‑year compliance) that create regulatory certainty for product planning and implementation.
Vehicle manufacturers will likely face higher compliance costs to upgrade sensors and software for low‑light, cyclist, and diverse‑skin‑tone detection, and those costs could be passed on to buyers, raising new‑vehicle prices.
Fixed, relatively short deadlines for rulemaking and compliance could force rushed standards or limited industry testing, reducing industry readiness or causing implementation problems.
Prohibiting increases to the maximum AEB operating speed in the referenced May 9, 2024 rule may limit future technological improvements that would enable safe higher‑speed interventions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 4, 2026 by Yvette Diane Clarke · Last progress February 4, 2026
Requires the Department of Transportation to start a rulemaking within 180 days to strengthen the federal automatic emergency braking (AEB) standard for light passenger vehicles so AEB systems work in both daylight and low-light, operate across the full speed ranges already specified for pedestrian AEB, and detect and respond to bicyclists, motorcyclists, wheelchair users, and other "vulnerable road users" across the full range of skin tones, clothing, and protective gear. It also sets deadlines for the rulemaking process and compliance. The bill sets a compliance date no later than September 1, 2029 for the previously issued AEB final rule, requires the Secretary to issue a revised final rule within two years after the new rulemaking begins and requires manufacturers to comply within two years after that revised rule is issued. It does not appropriate new funds or create new programs; it changes regulatory requirements and timelines for the safety standard.