Auto Safety Bill Targeting Electric Doors Advances in US House

US lawmakers agreed to advance an automotive safety bill that would require manual releases in new vehicles with electrically powered door handles, bringing the measure that could impact designs popularized by Tesla Inc. a step closer to becoming law.

The Securing Accessible Functional Emergency Exit Act, or SAFE Exit Act, was forwarded to full committee during a markup session Tuesday by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It still has to pass a number of legislative hurdles and may not be ultimately signed into law.

The bill, introduced last month by Representative Robin Kelly, an Illinois Democrat, ...