Sponsors (2)
The bill accelerates and strengthens AEB standards to improve safety for drivers and vulnerable road users, but does so at the cost of higher manufacturer compliance costs, potential vehicle price increases, production strains, and compressed federal implementation resources.
Drivers, passengers, and vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users, motorcyclists) will face fewer collisions and injuries because AEB systems must operate in daylight and low-light and detect pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, diverse skin tones, clothing, and protective gear.
Safer AEB features will be put into vehicles sooner due to firm rulemaking and compliance deadlines (final rule within 2 years; compliance within 2 years of issuance; existing rule compliance by Sept 1, 2029), accelerating deployment of life‑saving technology.
Vehicle manufacturers will incur higher development and compliance costs to meet tightened AEB requirements, which could raise new-vehicle prices for consumers.
Compressed deadlines could strain manufacturers' testing and supply chains, risking production delays or reduced model availability in the short term.
NHTSA and the Secretary will face resource and implementation burdens to complete rulemakings and oversight on a compressed schedule, potentially limiting stakeholder input or thorough testing.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs DOT to accelerate and expand AEB rules so systems work in daylight/low-light and detect pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, wheelchair users, and other vulnerable road users across skin tones and gear, with set timelines.
Introduced February 4, 2026 by Yvette Diane Clarke · Last progress February 4, 2026
Requires the Secretary of Transportation to speed up and broaden federal rules for automatic emergency braking (AEB) on light passenger vehicles so systems work in daylight and low-light, cover the full pedestrian-AEB speed range, and detect bicyclists, motorcyclists, wheelchair users, and other vulnerable road users across a full range of skin tones, clothing, and protective gear. Sets firm timelines: the Department must start rulemaking within 180 days of enactment, issue a final revised rule within two years of starting that rulemaking, and manufacturers must comply within two years after the revised rule is issued; an existing final rule’s compliance date must be no later than September 1, 2029. Defines “vulnerable road user” to include pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, people in wheelchairs, and riders of other non-motor-vehicle transport. The bill does not provide new funding and prohibits raising any maximum AEB operating speed set by the May 9, 2024 rule while implementing the daylight/low-light detection requirement.