House Panel Moves Bill to Let More Autonomous Vehicles Hit Roads

Autonomous vehicles could more easily hit roads nationwide under bipartisan legislation a House panel advanced Tuesday.

The SELF DRIVE Act (H.R. 7390) would establish safety standards, preempt state AV laws and allow manufacturers to make vehicles without manual controls such as steering wheels. An industry group representing Alphabet Inc. ‘s Waymo and other carmakers has pushed for the measure against union resistance.

“Autonomous vehicles hold enormous potential, not just as a technological advancement, but as a tool to save lives by reducing human error, which is responsible for most crashes,” Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), who chairs a subcommittee of ...