Bill > SB1417

This bill updates Arizona's laws regarding autonomous vehicles by introducing new definitions for terms like "distinct roadway participant" (vehicles with different characteristics than passenger cars, such as motorcycles), "fallback-ready user" (a human driver ready to take control), "near-miss event" (an incident where a collision was narrowly avoided), and "vulnerable road user" (pedestrians or bicyclists). It clarifies that autonomous vehicles must be approved by the department for their operational design domain and service area, with specific data validating their interaction with vulnerable road users and distinct roadway participants. The bill also mandates that fully autonomous vehicles operating without a human driver must have a law enforcement interaction plan, acknowledge compliance with federal safety standards, ensure a minimal risk condition in case of system failure, and maintain liability insurance of at least $5 million per occurrence. Furthermore, manufacturers or operators must now provide quarterly safety performance reports detailing miles driven, collisions, near-miss events, and software updates. The bill establishes requirements for operational design domains, including geographic areas, speed capabilities, weather tolerances, and system behavior in various traffic scenarios, and mandates that autonomous vehicles continuously record operational data for at least twelve months to reconstruct events leading up to collisions or near-misses. It also introduces performance tests for interactions with vulnerable road users and creates an "Autonomous Vehicle Safety Fund" financed by civil penalties to support safety testing, audits, public education, and training for law enforcement.

Budget and Finance

https://apps.azleg.gov/BillStatus/BillOverview/84971