B 26-0684

May 1, 2026
Nyasha Howard
Secretary to the Council
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Secretary Howard:
Today, along with Councilmembers Pinto and Frumin, I am introducing the “Autonomous Vehicle
Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026.” Please find enclosed a signed copy of the
legislation.
The growing proliferation of autonomous vehicles (“AVs”) presents an opportunity to improve traffic
safety and consumer choice in the District. Autonomous vehicle proponents tout AVs’ traffic safety
record, claiming that AVs are already safer than the average human driver and are continuously
improving. AVs can also provide more equitable access to rideshare services, as they can better
accommodate people with disabilities.
Despite the numerous benefits associated with autonomous vehicles, there are legitimate concerns
about their use. The deployment of more vehicles on District roadways can exacerbate traffic
congestion, increase demand for limited curbside space, and draw riders away from more sustainable
options like public transit and active transportation. Additionally, the deployment of commercial AV
operations will compete with existing taxi, rideshare, and delivery workers, potentially displacing
them in the transportation sector. Crashes or moving violations involving AVs present novel questions
regarding who is held responsible for any resulting civil or legal liability. And some people are simply
skeptical that AVs enhance traffic safety based on recent incidents where AVs were disabled following
a power outages and dangerously passed a stopped school bus.
Currently, the District only allows AV companies to engage in testing with a test operator physically
present in the vehicle. The District Department of Transportation has been tasked with developing a
driverless testing permit for years now, but progress has stalled. This bill will pave the way for
deployment of commercial AVs through an iterative process. Specifically, the bill:
Establishes a Commercial Autonomous Vehicle Program within the District Department of
Transportation (“DDOT”) that will issue and monitor compliance with commercial AV permits.
Eligibility for a permit is limited to applicants with a demonstrated record of safe testing in the District.
Applicants must submit documents in support of their application, including a first responder
interaction plan that ensure police, fire, EMS, and other emergency personnel can safely interact with
AVs on the road, as well as a continuity of operations plan that outlines how the AV will maintain
operational or otherwise respond to challenges like power outages or network failures.
Creates a phased timeline for the deployment of commercial AVs. The bill requires that DDOT release
a permit for driverless AV testing within 60 days of the law’s effective date. This advances the District
to the next phase of testing, and allows operators to demonstrate that their vehicles can safely
operate without a human driver present. 120 days after the release of the driverless testing permit,
DDOT would then release its commercial AV permit, which allows AV operators to begin offering rides
in the District. Until January 1, 2028, commercial AV operators’ fleet size would be limited to 200
vehicles. After January 1, 2028, commercial AV operators can submit an on-demand vehicle network
comprehensive plan that, if approved, will allow the operator to increase their fleet size. The
comprehensive plan explains how the operator will lawfully park and store their vehicles, minimize
passenger-less vehicle trips (i.e., “deadheading”) and the associated traffic congestion, ensure riders
from all eight wards have equitable access to AVs, and develop a user interface that allows people
with disabilities to request a ride.
Establishes Clear Rules for Engaging Autonomous Driving Features (Personal and Commercial). The
bill also establishes clear rules governing when an AV’s autonomous driving system can be engaged
that account for the various levels of autonomous driving technology that are available, their
respective capabilities, and the risks associated with their use. The bill broadly allows for the use of
Level 1 and Level 2 autonomous driving systems, which are driver assistance systems that still require
the human driver to remain in control. The bill generally restricts the use of Level 3, 4, and 5 systems,
except when an operator has received a permit for either commercial operations or testing. To ensure
the District is aware of vehicles with Level 3, 4, and 5 autonomous driving systems (e.g., fully or semi-
autonomous vehicles), manufacturers of these systems must register their products with DDOT.
Establishes a Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax. The bill establishes a vehicle miles traveled (“VMT”) tax for
commercial AV operators of $0.15/mile. The VMT encourages AV operators to minimize passenger-
less operations and circuitous routing.
Improves Public Transit. To address concerns that AV deployment will contribute to traffic congestion
and pull riders away from public transit, the bill invests a portion of the revenue collected from AV
operations into public transit infrastructure and service improvements. The bill also encourages AV
operators to collaborate with WMATA to develop a system that offers discounted fares for AV rides
that connect to public transit.
Supporting Existing Taxi and Rideshare Workers. The bill requires that DDOT, in collaboration with
the Department of For-Hire Vehicles and the Department of Employment Services, publish a report
analyzing the impact of AV deployment on the taxi and rideshare industries. The bill invests the
remaining portion of the revenue collected from AV operations to support taxi and rideshare drivers
through education, vocational training, and workforce development.
Clarifies how existing traffic safety laws and liability rules apply to autonomous vehicles. The bill
provides guidance on when the human driver or the autonomous driving system should be considered
the “driver” for the purposes of liability, tailored to the vehicle’s level of automation. This clarification
will help litigants avoid lengthy product liability disputes.
  Together, these provisions will allow for the safe deployment of commercial AVs while
legitimate concerns regarding this exciting, but nascent, technology.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
1_____________________________
2Councilmember Charles Allen
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4
5
6 _____________________________  _____________________________
7 Councilmember Matthew Frumin  Councilmember Brooke Pinto
8
9
10A BILL
11
12________
13
14
15IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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17_________________________
18
19
20 To amend the Autonomous Vehicle Act of 2012 to establish a Commercial Autonomous Vehicles
21Program within the District Department of Transportation (“DDOT”) allowing for certain
22autonomous vehicles to transport passengers and goods in the District, to require that
23applicants and recipients of a commercial AV permit submit planning documents, reports,
24and data to DDOT, to enumerate the conditions under which an autonomous driving system
25can be engaged, to establish penalties for noncompliance with program requirements and
26an appeals process, to establish the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Fund, to create a
27vehicle miles traveled tax that applies to commercial AV operations, and to require that
28autonomous driving system manufacturers register their products with DDOT.
29
30BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
31 act may be cited as the “Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of
32 2026”.
33Sec. 2. The Autonomous Vehicle Act of 2012, effective April 23, 2013 (D.C. Law 19-
34 278); D.C. Official Code § 50-2351 et seq.) is amended as follows:
35(a) Section 2 (D.C. Official Code § 50-2351) is amended as follows:
36(1) Paragraph (2D) is amended to read as follows:
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37“(2D) “Minimal risk condition” means a condition to which a human driver or an
38 autonomous driving system brings an autonomous vehicle to reduce the risk of a collision when a
39 given trip cannot or should not be completed.”.
40(2) New paragraphs (1A-i), (1F), (1G), (2C-i), (2C-ii), (2C-iii), (2C-iv), (2D-i), (2F-
41 i), (2F-ii), (2F-iii), and (5) are added to read as follows:
42“(1A-i) “Autonomous driving system manufacturer” or “ADS manufacturer”
43 means any person that designs, produces, sells, or distributes, for operation or use within the
44 District:
45“(A) A covered autonomous driving system;
46“(B) A covered semi-autonomous driving system; or
47“(C) A motor vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system
48 described in subparagraphs (A) or (B) of this paragraph.
49“(1F) “Commercial AV permit” means a permit to operate autonomous vehicles
50 with its covered autonomous driving system engaged and without an in-person driver on roadways
51 in the District in furtherance of a commercial activity.
52“(1G) “Covered autonomous driving system” means an autonomous driving system
53 that meets the SAE J3016 Level 4 or 5 criteria.
54“(1H) “Covered semi-autonomous driving system” means an autonomous driving
55 system that meets the SAE J3016 Level 3 criteria.
56“(2C-i) “First responder” means a natural person who provides firefighting, law
57 enforcement, ambulance, medical, or other emergency services.
58“(2C-ii) “First responder interaction plan” means a document providing guidance
59 to first responders on potential interactions with autonomous vehicles, including:
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60“(A) How to communicate with the permittee’s or the ADS manufacturer’s
61 fleet support specialist who is available while the autonomous vehicle is in operation;
62“(B) How to safely tow or remove an autonomous vehicle from a roadway;
63“(C) How to recognize whether an autonomous vehicle has its autonomous
64 driving system engaged;
65“(D) A technical description of how autonomous vehicles detect and are
66 designed to respond to the presence of first response vehicles;
67“(E) How law enforcement agencies can retrieve data, for use in crash
68 investigations, from an autonomous vehicle’s event data recorder, black box, or any other device
69 within the autonomous vehicle that collects and stores data; and
70“(F) Any additional information the Department considers necessary to
71 assess and mitigate the public safety risks associated with the operation of autonomous vehicles.
72“(2C-iii) “Good standing” means the commercial AV testing permit applicant:
73“(A) Holds a valid AV testing permit against which there are no pending
74 enforcement actions; and
75“(B) Has met all reporting obligations required by Chapter 23A.
76“(2C-iv) “In-vehicle driver” means a natural person in the autonomous vehicle who
77 is responsible for all or part of the dynamic driving task.
78“(2D-i) “On-demand autonomous vehicle network” means a transportation service
79 network that uses an internet browser-based or mobile application through which a permittee can
80 dispatch autonomous vehicles to transport passengers or goods for compensation pursuant to a
81 commercial AV permit.
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82“(2F-i) “Permittee” means a person who holds a valid commercial AV permit
83 issued by the Department.
84“(2F-ii) “Person” means a natural person, corporation, estate, trust, partnership,
85 limited liability company, association, joint venture, governmental agency, public corporation, or
86 any other legal or commercial entity.
87“(2F-iii) “Privately owned ADS vehicle” means a motor vehicle equipped with a
88 covered autonomous driving system or a covered semi-autonomous driving system that is operated
89 by a natural person who owns or leases the vehicle for personal, family, or household use, and is
90 not operated pursuant to a commercial AV permit under this act.
91“(5) “Unreasonable risk to public safety” means a risk of physical injury or death
92 to any roadway user that is greater than the risks presented by a human driver of average
93 competence.”.
94(b) Section 3 (D.C. Official Code § 50-2352) is revived and amended to read as follows:
95“Sec. 3. Autonomous vehicles permitted.
96“(a) No autonomous driving system shall be engaged on public roadways in the District
97 except as described in subsection (b).
98“(b)(1) A permittee or the permittee’s agents may engage a covered autonomous driving
99 system in any autonomous vehicle for which the permittee has a commercial AV permit issued as
100 described in section 3a.
101“(2) A test operator or remote operator may engage a covered autonomous driving
102 system or covered semi-autonomous driving system if the AV testing entity employing the
103 operator has received an AV testing permit or is testing without a permit as described in section
104 3a(d) of this act.
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105“(3) A person may engage a Level 1 or Level 2 autonomous driving system.
106“(c) In any grand jury, criminal, delinquency, or civil proceeding where a trier of fact must
107 determine the driver at the time of an incident, the trier of fact shall determine whether the in-
108 person driver or the autonomous driving system was in control of the dynamic driving task at the
109 time of the incident based on the totality of the circumstances.”.
110(c) New sections 3a-1 and 3a-2 are added to read as follows:
111“Section 3a-1. Commercial Autonomous Vehicles Program.
112“(a)(1) There is established a Commercial Autonomous Vehicle Program within the
113 Department that shall issue and monitor compliance with commercial AV permits.
114“(2) The Department shall create an application through which a person may apply
115 for a commercial AV permit.
116“(b) The application for a commercial AV permit shall, at a minimum, require that the
117 following information be submitted to the Department:
118“(1) The name, address, and principal point-of-contact of the applicant;
119“(2) For each autonomous vehicle to be operated in the District under the permit:
120“(A) The Vehicle Information Number (“VIN”);
121“(B) The vehicle’s make, model, and year;
122“(C) The vehicle’s tag number and state of issuance;
123“(D) Proof of current vehicle registration; and
124“(E) Technical documentation establishing that the vehicle is:
125“(i) Equipped with a covered autonomous driving system; and
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126“(ii) Is capable of achieving a minimal risk condition if a failure of
127 the covered autonomous driving system renders it unable to perform the dynamic driving task
128 relevant to its intended operational design domain;
129“(3) A statement signed by the applicant certifying that:
130“(A) The applicant:
131“(i) For an initial permit has participated in the Autonomous Vehicle
132 Testing Program established by section 3a of this act for at least 180 days before submission of its
133 application for a commercial AV permit, during which the applicant recorded at least 250,000
134 miles of AV testing within the District; or
135“(ii) For a subsequent permit has received a commercial AV permit
136 and operated in the District under that permit for at least 2 years;
137“(B) Each autonomous vehicle to be operated under the commercial AV
138 permit shall operate in compliance with the laws and regulations of the District and of the United
139 States, except with respect to:
140“(i) Laws and regulations that relate to equipment, licensure, or
141 processes that contemplate an in-person driver and are not relevant to the safe operation, transport,
142 or storage of a vehicle equipped with a covered autonomous driving system; or
143“(ii) Conditions for which the applicant is requesting or has received
144 an exemption from the department.
145“(4) Proof that each autonomous vehicle is covered by motor vehicle liability
146 coverage or self-insurance in an amount not less than $5,000,000;
147“(5) A first responder interaction plan that addresses the unique challenges of
148 operating in the District, including official motorcades and public demonstrations; and
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149“(6) A description of the strategies or technologies used to ensure that the
150 autonomous vehicles are lawfully parked;
151“(7) A continuity of operations plan that explains the redundancy and resiliency
152 measures the applicant has implemented to maintain operations during emergency circumstances,
153 such as power outages, cellular or wireless data network outages, or extreme weather events, and
154 to mitigate the resulting impacts to traffic safety and roadway congestion;
155“(8) A nonrefundable application fee of:
156“(A) $1,000,000 for an initial permit; and
157“(B) $500,000 for any subsequent permits.
158“(c)(1) Upon receipt of a complete application, the Department shall review the application
159 and inform the applicant of the Department’s determination within 90 calendar days.
160“(2)(A) If the Department determines that the application is incomplete, the
161 Department shall notify the applicant of the issue and grant the applicant 30 calendar days to
162 resubmit its application.
163“(B) The Department shall not require an applicant to pay the application
164 fee for any application resubmitted pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
165“(3) The Department shall deny the application only if:
166“(A) The applicant is not in good standing at the time of the application with
167 the Autonomous Vehicle Testing Program;
168“(B) The applicant fails to provide the information required by subsection
169 (b) after an opportunity to resubmit its application as described in paragraph (2) of this subsection;
170 or
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171“(C) The Department determines that the applicant’s operation of
172 autonomous vehicles would pose an unreasonable risk to public safety, based on the applicant’s
173 performance under the Autonomous Vehicle Testing Program, a previously issued commercial AV
174 permit, or the applicant’s performance in another jurisdiction.
175“(4) If the Department fails to act within the 90-day period described in paragraph
176 (1) of this subsection, the Department shall:
177“(A) Provide a written response to the applicant explaining the reasons for
178 the delay and the anticipated date by which the Department will complete its review; and
179“(B) Extend the duration of the permit by the amount of time that has passed
180 since the expiration of the 90-day period, if the Department ultimately approves the application.
181“(5) To avoid a lapse in a commercial AV permit during the renewal process, a
182 permittee seeking to renew a permit shall apply for renewal at least 150 days before the date on
183 which the current permit is set to expire; provided, that the permittee’s existing permit shall remain
184 in effect until the Department has made a final determination on the renewal application.
185“(d)(1) Upon approval of an initial permit, the permittee shall submit a non-refundable
186 permit fee of $5,000,000 to the Department.
187“(2) Renewal permits shall be subject to a non-refundable permit fee of $1,000,000
188 payable to the Department.
189“(e) A permit issued under this section shall be valid for three years after the date of
190 issuance, unless the permit is:
191“(1) Suspended, revoked, or canceled by the Department; or
192“(2) The duration of the permit is extended as described in subsection (c)(4)(B).
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193“(f) If there is a material change in the information provided to the Department pursuant to
194 subsection (c) of this section, a permittee shall inform the Department of the material change no
195 later than 14 calendar days after its discovery.
196“(g)(1) The permittee, or if there is not a permittee the ADS manufacturer, is considered to
197 be the licensed driver or operator of the autonomous vehicle engaged in autonomous operation for
198 the purpose of assessing compliance with applicable traffic or motor vehicle laws and liability, and
199 shall be deemed to be responsible for all physical acts required by a driver or operator of the
200 vehicle.
201“(2)(A) The permittee, or if there is not a permittee the ADS manufacturer, is
202 deemed to be the licensed operator of the autonomous vehicle engaged in autonomous operation
203 for the purposes of issuing and adjudicating notices of infraction or other tickets related to the
204 violation of District law or regulations.
205“(B) A permittee is responsible for resolving any notices of infraction or
206 other tickets issued against vehicles in its commercial AV fleet or any covered autonomous driving
207 system equipped to vehicles within its fleet, including the payment of any applicable fine or
208 penalty.
209“(h) No permittee shall require a customer to agree to arbitration regarding real or potential
210 liability as a condition for service involving the transportation of passengers or goods.
211“(i) A motor vehicle, which is designed to be operated exclusively by a covered
212 autonomous driving system for all trips, shall not be subject to motor vehicle equipment laws or
213 equipment regulations of the District that relate to or support motor vehicle operation by an in-
214 person driver and are not relevant to the safe operation or storage of a vehicle equipped with a
215 covered autonomous driving system.
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216“(j) A permittee shall make available to the Department a digitized log of significant
217 infrastructure defects identified within the District by its commercial fleet vehicles’ sensors, such
218 as:
219“(1) The precise GPS coordinates and timestamps of identified potholes, sinkholes,
220 or significant pavement degradation; and
221“(2) Impairment to the visibility, legibility, or operational integrity of official traffic
222 control devices, such as damage or defacement, obstructions, or operational issues.
223“(k) Except as provided in this section, the issuance of a commercial AV permit shall not
224 be interpreted to abrogate or amend any statutory or regulatory provisions or any aspects of law
225 pertaining to liability for any harm or injury caused.
226“(l) The Department may issue rules to implement this act.
227“(B) The Department shall not be required to hold a public hearing on, or
228 make available for public comment, a proposed decision on a permit application.”.
229“Sec 3a-2. Deployment of commercial autonomous vehicles; on-demand autonomous
230 vehicle networks.
231“(a)(1) Within 60 days of the effective date of the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
232 Authorization Amendment Act of 2026, the Department shall make available a driverless AV
233 testing permit that allows for AV testing without a test operator physically present in the vehicle.
234“(2) Before the Department has approved a permittee’s on-demand autonomous
235 vehicle network comprehensive plan, a permittee may operate up to 200 autonomous vehicles
236 within the District.
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237“(3) After approval of a permittee’s on-demand autonomous vehicle network
238 comprehensive plan, a permittee may operate a number of autonomous vehicles to be determined
239 by the Department through rulemaking.
240“(b)(1) Within 180 days of the effective date of the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment
241 Authorization Amendment Act of 2026, the Department shall make available the commercial AV
242 permit described in section 3a-1.
243“(c)(1) Beginning January 1, 2028, a permittee may launch on-demand autonomous vehicle
244 network to be operated in the District.
245“(2) An on-demand autonomous vehicle network shall:
246“(A) Comply with District laws governing the operation of transportation
247 network companies, taxis, or any other for-hire ground transportation of passengers, except that
248 any provision of law that reasonably applies only to an in-person driver shall not apply to the
249 operation of vehicles operated exclusively by a covered autonomous driving system for all trips;
250 and
251“(B) Provide a user interface, available through a browser-based or mobile
252 device application, that enables individuals with disabilities to request and receive transportation
253 services.
254“(d) Prior to launching an on-demand autonomous vehicle network within the District, a
255 permittee shall submit a comprehensive plan to the Department describing the strategies and
256 technology it will use to:
257“(1) Lawfully park and store commercial AV vehicles, which are subject to its
258 permit, in the District when they are not in operation, including:
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259“(A) Identification of any parking facilities licensed pursuant to section 1
260 of the District of Columbia Motor Vehicle Parking Facility Act of 1942, approved February 16,
261 1942 (56 Stat. 90; D.C. Official Code § 50-2601 et seq.), that will be used for parking and storing
262 autonomous vehicles; and
263“(B) Acknowledgment of the applicable parking tax, as described in section
264 47-2002(a)(1), to the designated facilities and assurance of compliance with applicable tax
265 obligations; and
266“(2) Minimize the operation of an autonomous vehicle without a passenger or a
267 destination; and
268“(3) Fairly rebalance fleet vehicles to reduce disparate availability or wait times
269 across wards.
270“(e)(1) The Department shall review the submitted plans for compliance with all relevant
271 District laws and regulations, including parking laws, tax requirements, and vehicle operations.
272“(2) The Department may impose additional requirements or conditions as
273 necessary to ensure safe, efficient, and lawful operation within the District.
274“(f) Driverless autonomous vehicles shall make every effort not to idle in a travel lane
275 while loading or unloading passengers or goods.
276“(g) A permittee that operates an on-demand autonomous vehicle network in the District
277 shall, upon request, respond to any request for proposal issued by the District government for
278 autonomous vehicle services.
279“(h) To facilitate seamless multimodal travel, a permittee operating an on-demand
280 autonomous vehicle network shall:
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281“(1) Seek to support payment systems and initiatives and ensure that its digital
282 platforms are compatible with widely adopted, industry-recognized standards for secure,
283 interoperable contactless payments, including any successor or emerging standards; and
284“(2) Collaborate with the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority and
285 other transit agencies in the region to explore the feasibility of a transit incentive program that
286 allows enrolled commercial AV customers to receive credits or discounts for commercial AV rides
287 that connect to public transit; and
288“(i) A permittee’s failure to comply with the requirements of this section may result in
289 penalties, including the revocation or suspension of a commercial AV permit or the imposition of
290 fines.
291(d) Section 3c (D.C. Official Code § 50-2352.03) is amended by adding new subsections
292 to read as follows:
293“(e) On a quarterly basis, a permittee shall provide to the Department, in a form to be
294 determined by the Department, the following information from each reporting period:
295“(1) The total number of vehicle miles traveled by its commercial AV fleet, broken
296 down by miles during which vehicles in the commercial AV fleet were:
297“(A) Actively transporting passengers or goods;
298“(B) Dispatched and traveling to the pickup location in response to a request
299 for service; or
300“(B) Traveling for any other purpose, such as the fair redistribution of the
301 commercial AV fleet across the District;
302“(2) The number of trips provided by its commercial AV fleet;
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303“(3) The number of times a vehicle in its commercial AV fleet entered a minimal
304 risk condition;
305“(4)(A) The number of times a vehicle in its commercial AV fleet was disabled to
306 the point of requiring physical removal by a first responder, permittee, or another entity; and
307“(B) The amount of time that elapsed between the autonomous vehicle
308 becoming disabled and its removal;
309“(5) The number of crashes involving a vehicle within its commercial AV fleet that
310 resulted in property damage, bodily injury, or death; and
311“(6) A description of any changes the permittee has implemented or intends to
312 implement following a crash that occurred during the reporting period, such as upgrades to the
313 autonomous vehicle’s hardware or software systems, or an explanation of why the permittee has
314 not implemented or does not intend to implement changes.
315“(f) The Department shall publish the reports required by subsection (e) of this section on
316 its website no later than five business days after receipt; provided that the Department shall redact
317 or exclude any proprietary, confidential, or security-sensitive information in accordance with
318 applicable law.
319“(g)(1) A permittee shall notify the Department of a crash involving a vehicle within its
320 commercial AV fleet that results in property damage, bodily injury, or death within 8 hours after
321 the crash.
322“(2) The notification provided pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection shall
323 include, to the extent known:
324“(A) The name of the permittee;
325“(B) The date, time, and location of the crash;
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326“(C) The severity of the crash, including any injuries to passengers or other
327 roadway users; and
328“(D) The name, title, and contact information of the permittee’s
329 representative reporting the crash.
330“(3) Within 5 business days of the crash, the permittee shall submit a crash report
331 to the Department that contains the following information:
332“(A) The date, time, location, type of roadway, weather conditions, and a
333 brief description of the event;
334“(B) A summary of the movement of the vehicle preceding the crash, such
335 as whether the vehicle was parked, stopped, accelerating, reversing, making a turn, and its speed
336 of travel;
337“(C) The name, title, and contact information for permittee’s representative
338 submitting the crash report.
339“(h)(1) The Department may require the permittee to submit additional information
340 necessary to investigate a crash.
341“(2) Upon receipt of a reasonable request for information related to a crash from
342 the Department, the permittee, shall provide that information to the Department.
343“(i) A permittee shall provide copies of any collision or incident reports submitted to the
344 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) pursuant to federal standing general
345 orders or other written guidance to the Department within one business day after its submission to
346 NHTSA.
347(e) Section 3f (D.C. Official Code § 50-2352.06) is amended by adding new subsections to
348 read as follows:
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349“(c) If the Department determines that a permittee’s operations create an unreasonable risk
350 to public safety, the Department shall issue to the permittee a written notice of infraction that:
351“(1) States that the Department seeks to revoke, suspend, or impose restrictions on
352 the permittee’s commercial AV permit, including which specific enforcement actions the
353 Department will take if the notice of infraction is upheld;
354“(2) Explains the Department’s reasoning for its initial determination, including
355 any supporting documentation or evidence; and
356“(3) Provides the permittee with a reasonable period to:
357“(A) Dispute the underlying facts or initial determination of the notice of
358 intent; or
359“(B) Correct the issues identified in the Department’s notice.
360“(d)(1) Before the expiration of the period specified in a notice of intent, a permittee shall
361 provide a written response to the notice of intent that:
362“(A) Disputes the underlying facts or initial determination of the notice of
363 intent; or
364“(B) Explains how the issues identified in the notice of intent have been
365 corrected, such as identifying new strategies or technologies that the permittee has implemented.
366“(2) The Department shall review a permittee’s response to a notice of intent upon
367 its receipt.
368“(e)(1) If permittee’s response disputes underlying facts or initial determination, and the
369 Department:
370“(A) Is persuaded that the permittee’s operations do not create an
371 unreasonable risk to public safety, the notice of intent shall be dismissed; or
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372“(B) Upholds its determination that the permittee’s operations create an
373 unreasonable risk to public safety, the Department shall notify the permittee of its determination
374 and give the permittee a reasonable time to correct the issues identified in the notice of intent.
375“(2) If permittee’s attempts to correct the issues identified in the notice, and the
376 Department:
377“(A) Is persuaded that the permittee’s operations do not create an
378 unreasonable risk to public safety, the notice of intent shall be dismissed; or
379“(B) Upholds its determination that the permittee’s operations create an
380 unreasonable risk to public safety, the Department may take any enforcement action specified in
381 the original notice of intent.
382“(3) If the permittee fails to respond to the notice of intent, the Department may
383 take any enforcement action specified in the original notice of intent.
384“(f)(1) If the Department takes an enforcement action against a permittee as described in
385 subsection (e) of this section:
386“(A) The permittee may appeal the action to the Office of Administrative
387 Hearings as described in section 3g of this act; or
388“(B) Submit proof to the Department that the issues identified in the notice
389 have been corrected.
390“(2) If the Department determines, based on the proof submitted as described in
391 subsection (f)(1)(B), that the permittee’s operations no longer create an unreasonable risk to public
392 safety, the Department may rescind any enforcement action taken, provided that the Department
393 shall not remit to a permittee any fines or fees lawfully imposed under this act.
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394(f) Section 3g (D.C. Official Code § 50-2352.07) is amended by adding new subsections
395 (c) and (d) to read as follows:
396“(c)(1) The Office of Administrative Hearings (“OAH”) shall hold a hearing requested
397 under this subsection no later than 90 days after the date of the Department’s final determination
398 under section 3f of this act.
399“(2) If a hearing is not held during the period required by paragraph (1) of this
400 subsection, any enforcement action against the permittee shall be reversed.
401“(d) OAH shall dismiss the Department’s notice of intent if it finds, by clear and convincing
402 evidence, that the permittee’s commercial AV operations do not create an unreasonable risk to
403 public safety.
404(g) New sections 3h and 3i are added to read as follows:
405“Sec. 3h. Vehicle miles traveled tax; rate.
406“(a) The District shall levy and collect a tax on the aggregate number of vehicle miles
407 traveled by autonomous vehicles operated pursuant to a commercial AV permit issued by the
408 District Department of Transportation.
409“(b) The rate of tax shall be $0.15 for each vehicle miles traveled.
410“Sec. 3i. Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Fund establishment.
411“(a) There is established as a special fund the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Fund
412 (“Fund”), which shall be administered by the District Department of Transportation (“DDOT”) in
413 accordance with this section.
414“(b) All special purpose funds collected from the following sources shall be deposited into
415 the Fund:
416“(1) The application fee described at section 3(c)(6) of this act;
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417“(2) The permit fee described at section 3(e) of this act;
418“(3) The vehicle miles tax described at section 3h; and
419“(4) Any other fines or fees assessed under this act.
420“(c)(1) After funding the ongoing implementation costs of the Autonomous Vehicle
421 Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026, money in the Fund shall be used for the
422 following purposes:
423“(A) 50% of the remaining deposits shall be used to support public transit
424 infrastructure and service; and
425“(B) 50% of the remaining deposits shall be used to support education,
426 vocational training, and workforce development programming aimed at ride-share drivers who
427 have been or are at-risk of job displacement due to the adoption of commercial autonomous
428 vehicles.
429“(2) No later than 180 days after the effective date of the Autonomous Vehicle
430 Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026, the Department shall publish a report that:
431“(A) Analyzes the impact of the deployment of autonomous vehicles on the
432 taxi and ride-share industries, including any lost jobs or displaced workers;
433“(B) Proposes a spending plan for the deposits described in subsection
434 (c)(1)(B) developed in consultation with the Department of Employment Services and the
435 Department of For-Hire Vehicles.
436“(d) Subject to authorization in an approved budget and financial plan, any funds
437 appropriated in the Fund shall be continually available without regard to fiscal year limitation.
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438“(e) The money deposited into the Fund but not expended in a fiscal year shall not revert
439 to the unassigned fund balance of the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of a
440 fiscal year, or at any other time.”.
441Sec. 3j. Private Autonomous Driving System Registration and Liability.
442“(a)(1) No ADS manufacturer shall sell, offer for sale, lease, operate, or otherwise make
443 available for use on public roadways in the District an autonomous driving system or a motor
444 vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving system unless the ADS manufacturer has registered
445 with the Department as described in this subsection.
446“(2) An application for ADS manufacturer registration shall include, at a minimum:
447“(A) The name, principal place of business, and a designated agent for
448 service of process within the District of the ADS manufacturer;
449“(B) A description of each autonomous driving system offered for use in
450 the District, including the vehicle makes, models, and model years in which the feature is installed
451 or available, the SAE automation level of each such feature;
452“(C) Proof of insurance or self-insurance as required by subsection (c) of
453 this section;
454“(D) A first responder interaction plan; and
455“(E) A non-refundable annual registration fee of $10,000.
456“(3) An ADS manufacturer shall notify the Department of any material change to
457 its autonomous driving system’s software, capabilities, or operational design domain no later than
458 30 calendar days before deploying such change to vehicles operating in the District.
459“(c)(1) Each ADS manufacturer registered under this section shall maintain motor vehicle
460 liability coverage or self-insurance in an amount not less than $5,000,000 per occurrence for bodily
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461 injury, death, and property damage arising from the operation of an autonomous driving feature in
462 the District, regardless of liability coverage or insurance maintained by the vehicle owner or
463 operator.
464“(2) The liability coverage or self-insurance required by paragraph (1) shall be
465 primary over any personal motor vehicle insurance held by the vehicle owner or operator when a
466 crash occurs while an autonomous driving system is engaged.
467“(3) An ADS manufacturer shall maintain a publicly accessible claims process
468 through which any person harmed in a crash involving an autonomous vehicle with its autonomous
469 driving system engaged may initiate a claim directly against the ADS manufacturer without first
470 initiating a claim against the vehicle owner or operator.
471“(d)(1) When an autonomous driving system is engaged at the time of a crash or traffic
472 infraction, the ADS manufacturer of that system shall be deemed the operator of the vehicle for
473 purposes of:
474“(A) Civil liability for violations of applicable traffic laws and regulations,
475 including responding to the issuance of any notices of infraction; and
476“(B) Tort liability for bodily injury, death, or property damage caused by
477 the conduct of the vehicle while the autonomous driving system is engaged, without the necessity
478 of pleading or proving a product defect under applicable products liability law.
479“(2)(A) For the purposes of paragraph (1) of this subsection, a rebuttable
480 presumption shall exist that an autonomous driving system was engaged at the time of a crash if
481 the ADS manufacturer’s vehicle data logs, event data recorder, or other onboard system indicate
482 that the autonomous driving system was active in the 30 seconds preceding the crash.
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483“(B) The ADS manufacturer shall bear the burden of rebutting this presumption
484 with clear and convincing evidence.
485“(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to:
486“(A) Relieve a vehicle owner or operator of liability for actions taken
487 outside the operational parameters of the autonomous driving system, including manual overrides,
488 disabling of safety systems, or operation of the vehicle while the autonomous driving system is
489 disengaged;
490“(B) Limit or abrogate any right of contribution or indemnification between
491 an ADS manufacturer and a vehicle owner or operator; or
492“(C) Preclude any claim grounded in negligence, strict products liability,
493 breach of warranty, or any other theory of liability available under District or federal law, including
494 any claim that a defect in the autonomous driving system caused or contributed to harm.
495“(e)(1) An ADS manufacturer shall notify the Department of any crash involving a
496 privately owned ADS vehicle occurring on public roadways in the District that results in bodily
497 injury, death, or property damage exceeding $5,000, within 72 hours of the ADS manufacturer’s
498 knowledge of the crash.
499“(2) An ADS manufacturer shall preserve all vehicle data logs, sensor data,
500 software state records, and event data recorder information related to any crash reportable under
501 paragraph (1) for no fewer than 3 years after the date of the incident, and shall make such data
502 available to the Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, or any court of competent
503 jurisdiction upon lawful request.
504“(3) An ADS manufacturer shall provide copies of any collision or incident reports
505 submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pursuant to federal standing
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506 general orders or other written guidance to the Department within one business day after its
507 submission to NHTSA.
508“(f)(1) Prior to sale, lease, or delivery of a vehicle equipped with an autonomous driving
509 system for use in the District, an ADS manufacturer shall provide the purchaser or lessee with a
510 written disclosure that clearly and conspicuously states:
511“(A) The SAE automation level of the autonomous driving system and the
512 nature and extent of driver attention and readiness to assume manual control that the feature
513 requires;
514“(B) That under District law, when the autonomous driving system is
515 engaged, the ADS manufacturer and not the vehicle operator bears primary liability for violations
516 of the rules of the road and for crashes caused by the conduct of the feature;
517“(C) The contact information for the ADS manufacturer’s claims process
518 required by subsection (c)(3) of this section;
519“(D) Limitations on the engagement of autonomous driving systems as
520 described in section 3 of this act.
521“(g)(1) An ADS manufacturer that operates in the District without registering as required
522 by subsection (b) of this section shall be subject to a civil fine of not less than $1,000 and not more
523 than $10,000 per day for each day of noncompliance.
524“(2) An ADS manufacturer that fails to maintain the insurance coverage required
525 by subsection (c) of this section shall be subject to immediate suspension of its registration and a
526 civil fine of not less than $10,000 per day for each day of noncompliance.
527“(3) Civil fines assessed under this subsection shall be deposited into the
528 Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Fund established under section 3i of this act.
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529“(h) The Department may issue rules to implement this section, including rules establishing
530 procedures for ADS manufacturer registration, standards for determining when an autonomous
531 driving system is engaged for purposes of this section, and any exemptions for low-speed or limited
532 operational domain autonomous driving systems that the Department determines do not present
533 material public safety risks.”.
534Sec. 4. Fiscal Impact Statement.
535The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact
536 statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved
537 October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
538Sec. 5. Effective Date.
539This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the
540 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review as
541 provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24,
542 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)).
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