Virginia Lawmakers Move Closer to Regulating Self-Driving Vehicles

Virginia is advancing toward rules for autonomous vehicles after lawmakers and industry and labor stakeholders reached partial consensus on a commercial-use framework, with a final workgroup report due to the General Assembly by Nov. 1.

Last year the legislature directed a workgroup to study autonomous-vehicle policy as other states test or restrict self-driving technology. The panel's Aug. 28 meeting focused on commercial applications including ride-sharing, delivery, buses and heavy-duty trucks rather than personal vehicles.

Senate Transportation Committee Chair Lamont Bagby, D-Henrico, said the group is trying to sketch the bones of legislation before session. Members disagreed over how much discretion the Department of Motor Vehicles should have to suspend permits, whether to set fixed safety benchmarks or rely on operating history, and how much real-time data autonomous vehicles should report.

There was broad agreement that the state, not localities except for taxi-style services, should regulate autonomous vehicles and that first responders need specific training. Debate continues over fees for worker retraining, arbitration protections for customers, and any special tax treatment.

Industry representatives from firms including Uber, Tesla and Torc Robotics urged a clear path to commercial deployment. Labor advocates, including Kevin O'Neill of the DMV Drivers Alliance, said drivers deserve answers about income loss before fleets scale.

Email the House of Delegates at:
Jessica Anderson: DelJAnderson@house.virginia.gov,
Bonita Anthony: DelBAnthony@house.virginia.gov,
Alex Askew: DelAAskew@house.virginia.gov,
Terry Austin: DelTAustin@house.virginia.gov,
Jason Ballard: DelJBallard@house.virginia.gov,
Robert Bloxom, Jr.: DelRBloxom@house.virginia.gov,
Gretchen Bulova: DelGBulova@house.virginia.gov,
Katrina Callsen: DelKCallsen@house.virginia.gov,
Karen Carnegie: DelKCarnegie@house.virginia.gov,
Betsy Carr: DelBCarr@house.virginia.gov,
Stacey Carroll: DelSCarroll@house.virginia.gov,
Mike Cherry: DelMCherry@house.virginia.gov,
Nadarius Clark: DelNClark@house.virginia.gov,
Laura Cohen: DelLJCohen@house.virginia.gov,
Joshua Cole: DelJCole@house.virginia.gov,
Nicole Cole: DelNCole@house.virginia.gov,
Kelly Convirs-Fowler: DelKConvirs-Fowler@house.virginia.gov,
Mitchell Cornett: DelMCornett@house.virginia.gov,
Rae Cousins: DelRCousins@house.virginia.gov,
Will Davis: DelWDavis@house.virginia.gov,
Karrie Delaney: DelKDelaney@house.virginia.gov,
Lindsey Dougherty: DelLDougherty@house.virginia.gov,
Mark Downey: DelMDowney@house.virginia.gov,
Michael Feggans: DelMFeggans@house.virginia.gov,
Hyland Fowler, Jr.: DelBFowler@house.virginia.gov,
Lily Franklin: DelLFranklin@house.virginia.gov,
Margaret Franklin: DelMFranklin@house.virginia.gov,
Debra Gardner: DelDGardner@house.virginia.gov,
Thomas Garrett, Jr.: DelTGarrett@house.virginia.gov,
Jackie Glass: DelJGlass@house.virginia.gov,
Timothy Griffin: DelTGriffin@house.virginia.gov,
Elizabeth Guzman: DelEGuzman@house.virginia.gov,
Karen Hamilton: DelKHamilton@house.virginia.gov,
Cliff Hayes, Jr.: DelCHayes@house.virginia.gov,
Dan Helmer: DelDHelmer@house.virginia.gov,
Rozia Henson, Jr.: DelRHenson@house.virginia.gov,
Phil Hernandez: DelPHernandez@house.virginia.gov,
Charniele Herring: DelCHerring@house.virginia.gov,
Keith Hodges: DelKHodges@house.virginia.gov,
Patrick Hope: DelPHope@house.virginia.gov,
Hillary Kent: DelHKent@house.virginia.gov,
Karen Keys-Gamarra: DelKKeys-Gamarra@house.virginia.gov,
Terry Kilgore: DelTKilgore@house.virginia.gov,
Paul Krizek: DelPKrizek@house.virginia.gov,
Amy Laufer: DelALaufer@house.virginia.gov,
Destiny LeVere Bolling: DelDLeVereBolling@house.virginia.gov,
Jay Leftwich, Jr.: DelJLeftwich@house.virginia.gov,
Alfonso Lopez: DelALopez@house.virginia.gov,
Fernando Martinez: DelMMartinez@house.virginia.gov,
John McAuliff: DelJMcAuliff@house.virginia.gov,
Adele McClure: DelAMcClure@house.virginia.gov,
Garrett McGuire: DelGMcGuire@house.virginia.gov,
Ellen McLaughlin: DelEMcLaughlin@house.virginia.gov,
Joseph McNamara: DelJMcNamara@house.virginia.gov,
Kirk McPike: DelKMcPike@house.virginia.gov,
Delores McQuinn: DelDMcQuinn@house.virginia.gov,
Leslie Mehta: DelLMehta@house.virginia.gov,
Will Morefield: DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov,
May Nivar: DelMNivar@house.virginia.gov,
Israel O’Quinn: DeliOquinn@house.virginia.gov,
Delores Oates: DelDOates@house.virginia.gov,
Justin Pence: DelJPence@house.virginia.gov,
Eric Phillips: DelEPhillips@house.virginia.gov,
Kimberly Pope Adams: DelKPopeAdams@house.virginia.gov,
Cia Price: DelMPrice@house.virginia.gov,
Sam Rasoul: DelSRasoul@house.virginia.gov,
Atoosa Reaser: DelAReaser@house.virginia.gov,
David Reid: DelDReid@house.virginia.gov,
Andrew Rice: DelARice@house.virginia.gov,
Chris Runion: DelCRunion@house.virginia.gov,
Charles Schmidt, Jr.: DelCSchmidt@house.virginia.gov,
Don Scott: DelDScott@house.virginia.gov,
Phillip Scott: DelPScott@house.virginia.gov,
Holly Seibold: DelHSeibold@house.virginia.gov,
Briana Sewell: DelBSewell@house.virginia.gov,
Irene Shin: DelIShin@house.virginia.gov,
Marcus Simon: DelMSimon@house.virginia.gov,
Shelly Simonds: DelSSimonds@house.virginia.gov,
JJ Singh: DelJSingh@house.virginia.gov,
Rip Sullivan, Jr.: DelRSullivan@house.virginia.gov,
Anne Tata: DelAFTata@house.virginia.gov,
Josh Thomas: DelJThomas@house.virginia.gov,
Virgil Thornton, Sr.: DelVThornton@house.virginia.gov,
Luke Torian: DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov,
Kathy Tran: DelKTran@house.virginia.gov,
Howard Wachsmann, Jr.: DelOWachsmann@house.virginia.gov,
Wendell Walker: DelWWalker@house.virginia.gov,
Jeion Ward: DelJWard@house.virginia.gov,
Lee Ware: DelLWare@house.virginia.gov,
Vivian Watts: DelVWatts@house.virginia.gov,
Michael Webert: DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov,
Madison Whittle: DelMWhittle@house.virginia.gov,
Bill Wiley: DelBWiley@house.virginia.gov,
Rodney Willett: DelRWillett@house.virginia.gov,
Wren Williams: DelWWilliams@house.virginia.gov,
Tony Wilt: DelTWilt@house.virginia.gov,
Thomas Wright, Jr.: DelTWright@house.virginia.gov,
Scott Wyatt: DelSWyatt@house.virginia.gov,
Eric Zehr: DelEZehr@house.virginia.gov,

Email the Virginia Senate At:
Lashrecse Aird - senatoraird@senate.virginia.gov,
Lamont Bagby - senatorbagby@senate.virginia.gov,
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker - senatorbennett-parker@senate.virginia.gov,
Jennifer Boysko - senatorboysko@senate.virginia.gov,
Jennifer Carroll Foy - senatorcarrollfoy@senate.virginia.gov,
Luther Cifers - senatorcifers@senate.virginia.gov,
Christie Craig - senatorcraig@senate.virginia.gov,
Creigh Deeds - senatordeeds@senate.virginia.gov,
Bill DeSteph - senatordesteph@senate.virginia.gov,
Danny Diggs - senatordiggs@senate.virginia.gov,
Tara Durant - senatordurant@senate.virginia.gov,
Barbara Favola - senatorfavola@senate.virginia.gov,
Timmy French - senatorfrench@senate.virginia.gov,
Travis Hackworth - senatorhackworth@senate.virginia.gov,
Christopher Head - senatorhead@senate.virginia.gov,
Michael Jones - senatorjones@senate.virginia.gov,
Emily Jordan - senatorjordan@senate.virginia.gov,
Mamie Locke - senatorlocke@senate.virginia.gov,
Louise Lucas - senatorlucas@senate.virginia.gov,
David Marsden - senatormarsden@senate.virginia.gov,
Ryan McDougle - senatormcdougle@senate.virginia.gov,
Jeremy McPike - senatormcpike@senate.virginia.gov,
Tammy Mulchi - senatormulchi@senate.virginia.gov,
Mark Obenshain - senatorobenshain@senate.virginia.gov,
Mark Peake - senatorpeake@senate.virginia.gov,
Stella Pekarsky - senatorpekarsky@senate.virginia.gov,
Russet Perry - senatorperry@senate.virginia.gov,
Todd Pillion - senatorpillion@senate.virginia.gov,
Bryce Reeves - senatorreeves@senate.virginia.gov,
Danica Roem - senatorroem@senate.virginia.gov,
Aaron Rouse - senatorrouse@senate.virginia.gov,
Saddam Salim - senatorsalim@senate.virginia.gov,
Kannan Srinivasan - senatorsrinivasan@senate.virginia.gov,
William Stanley - senatorstanley@senate.virginia.gov,
Richard Stuart - senatorstuart@senate.virginia.gov,
Glen Sturtevant - senatorsturtevant@senate.virginia.gov,
David Suetterlein - senatorsuetterlein@senate.virginia.gov,
Scott Surovell - senatorsurovell@senate.virginia.gov,
Schuyler VanValkenburg - senatorvanvalkenburg@senate.virginia.gov,
Angelia Williams Graves - senatorwilliamsgraves@senate.virginia.gov,

Email the Henrico County Board/Council:
Dan J. Schmitt, brookland@henrico.gov,
Roscoe D. Cooper III, fairfield@henrico.gov,
Misty D. Roundtree, threechopt@henrico.gov,
Jody K. Rogish, tuckahoe@henrico.gov,
Tyrone E. Nelson, varina@henrico.gov,

Email the Henrico County School Board:
Kristi B. Kinsella, kbkinsella@henrico.k12.va.us,
Ryan Young, reyoung@henrico.k12.va.us,
Madison Irving, mtirving@henrico.k12.va.us,
Marcie F. Shea, mfshea@henrico.k12.va.us,
Alicia S. Atkins, asatkins@henrico.k12.va.us,