SB 915: Local government: autonomous vehicle service.

Existing law authorizes an autonomous vehicle, as defined, to be operated on public roads for testing purposes by a driver who possesses the proper class of license for the type of vehicle being operated if certain requirements are met, including that the vehicle is being operated solely by employees, contractors, or other persons designated by the manufacturer. Existing law prohibits an autonomous vehicle from being operated on public roads until the manufacturer submits an application to the Department of Motor Vehicles containing certain certifications regarding safety and other technological requirements and the department approves that application pursuant to adopted regulations. Existing law, commencing January 1, 2030, and to the extent authorized by federal law, prohibits the operation of certain new autonomous vehicles that are not zero-emission vehicles, as defined.

Existing law provides for the local regulation of certain types of transportation services, including taxicab companies. Existing law requires each city or county in which a taxicab company is substantially located to adopt an ordinance or resolution in regards to taxicab transportation service, that includes provisions for a permitting program for taxicab drivers. Under existing law, it is unlawful to operate a taxicab company without a valid permit to operate issued by each city or county in which the taxicab company is substantially located.

This bill would authorize each city, county, or city and county in which a city with a population of 250,000 or greater that an autonomous vehicle service, as defined, has received authorization by the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Public Utilities Commission, or any other applicable state agency to operate, to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by enacting an ordinance in regard to autonomous vehicle services within that jurisdiction. The bill would require each city, county, or city and county city that enacts an ordinance to include certain provisions within that ordinance. These would include a policy for entry into the business of providing autonomous vehicle services including a permitting program that includes, among other things, the establishment of reasonable vehicle caps and hours of service restrictions. The bill would authorize a city with a population of less than 250,000 that shares a border or is contiguous to a city that has enacted an autonomous vehicle services ordinance to enact an ordinance substantially consistent with that autonomous vehicle services ordinance.

The bill would authorize each city, county, or city and county city to levy service charges, fees, or assessments in the amount sufficient to pay for the costs of carrying out an ordinance enacted in regard to autonomous vehicle services. The bill would require a permitted prohibit an ordinance enacted pursuant to this bill from banning the safe operation of autonomous vehicle services.

This bill would require an autonomous vehicle service to include an interoperability or override system in each of its vehicles, as specified, and provide training for first responders on how to interact with the vehicles and the use of the override system. The bill would require an autonomous vehicle service conducting commercial passenger service to take various actions, including maintaining reasonable financial responsibility and keeping its vehicles in safe operating condition, as specified. The bill would also authorize a city, county, or city and county to enter into an agreement with another city, county, or city and county to form a joint powers authority or into an agreement with a transit agency for the purpose of regulating or administering autonomous vehicle services within jurisdictional boundaries.

The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.