Bill Text: HI SB1008 | 2022 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii Senate Bill 1008 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Relating To Autonomous Transportation.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-12-10 - Carried over to 2022 Regular Session. [SB1008 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SB1008-Amended.html

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1008
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO AUTONOMOUS TRANSPORTATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that nearly every major automaker worldwide is working diligently toward deploying autonomous vehicles or vehicles that drive with little or no human intervention. Autonomous vehicles benefit society by reducing crashes and related injuries and deaths, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, easing traffic congestion, and providing transportation for those unable to drive.

The legislature further finds that twenty-nine states and Washington D.C. have enacted legislation related to autonomous vehicles, and governors in eleven states, including Hawaii, have issued executive orders related to autonomous vehicles. H.C.R. No. 220, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2019, requested the attorney general to convene an autonomous vehicle legal preparation task force to prepare Hawaii for the legal and regulatory implications of transitioning to autonomous vehicles and to submit a report to the legislature. The task force's final report found that "autonomous vehicles have the potential to improve the safety of the transportation system, reduce energy consumption, and enhance overall quality of life."

Therefore, the purpose of this Act is to establish a permanent autonomous transportation task force within the department of transportation to prepare the State for the inevitable adoption and use of autonomous vehicles and to make recommendations to the legislature to assist with the transition.

SECTION 2. Chapter 286, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§286- Autonomous transportation task force. (a) There is established within the department of transportation the autonomous transportation task force to prepare the State for the inevitable transition to a future in which all vehicles are autonomous. The task force shall:

(1) Examine the ongoing implications of transitioning to a future in which all vehicles are autonomous;

(2) Examine the impact on public infrastructure needs in a future in which all vehicles are autonomous;

(3) Make recommendations to assist with the transition as autonomous transportation becomes a growing percentage of daily commutes; and

(4) Make recommendations relating to the legal and insurance coverage implications of autonomous vehicles as autonomous transportation becomes a growing percentage of daily commutes.

(b) The task force shall be composed of the following individuals or their designees:

(1) The director of transportation, who shall serve as chairperson;

(2) The attorney general;

(3) The chair of the senate committee on transportation;

(4) The chair of the house committee on transportation;

(5) The mayor of the city and county of Honolulu;

(6) The mayor of the county of Hawaii;

(7) The mayor of the county of Maui;

(8) The mayor of the county of Kauai;

(9) The insurance commissioner of the department of commerce and consumer affairs;

(10) A representative from an entity that is knowledgeable in environmental issues and policy relating to electric autonomous vehicles; and

(11) A representative from the powersports industry.

(c) The task force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the governor and the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2022, and twenty days prior to the convening of each regular legislative session thereafter. The task force's report shall include the following:

(1) An updated analysis on the envisioned fully autonomous transportation future, its effect on public infrastructure needs, and the legal and insurance coverage implications;

(2) Updated information on the growth of autonomous transportation to date and forecasted expectations;

(3) Updated information on laws and regulations in other jurisdictions across the United States relating to the planning and the regulation of autonomous vehicles; and

(4) Recommendations and guidance to assist lawmakers, policymakers, and stakeholders to prepare for the transition to the future in which all vehicles are autonomous."

SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Report Title:

Autonomous Transportation Task Force; Establishment; Department of Transportation

Description:

Establishes a permanent autonomous transportation task force to be placed in the department of transportation. (SD2)

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