HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3820        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3298

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael S. Day

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3820        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3298

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3434 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act limiting autonomous driving capabilities to zero emission and electric vehicles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Automobile transporter” the following 2 definitions:-

“Autonomous technology,” technology installed on a motor vehicle that has the capability to control the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed, without the active control or monitoring by a human operator; provided, however, that  “autonomous technology” shall not include active safety or driver assistance technology, including, electronic blind spot assistance, crash avoidance, emergency braking, parking assistance, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assistance, lane departure warning, or traffic jam and queuing assistant, unless any of the technology, alone or in combination with other technology, enables the motor vehicle on which the technology is installed to drive without the active control or monitoring by a human operator.

“Autonomous vehicle,” any motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology.

SECTION 2. Said section 1 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Way” the following definition:-

“Zero emission vehicle”, a battery electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle.

SECTION 3. Said chapter 90 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 19L the following section:-

Section 19M.  An autonomous vehicle operated on the ways of the commonwealth shall be a zero emission vehicle.