US Lawmakers Want Feds to Steer Driverless Car Rules

Congressional Republicans and Democrats in Washington drew battle lines Tuesday over a package of self-driving vehicle bills that would pre-empt state-level regulations, including those in the final stages of development in California.

U.S. House Republicans have unveiled 14 draft bills that seek to expand the federal government's role in setting rules for testing, developing and making road-ready highly autonomous vehicles. The legislation responds to industry concerns that individual states are creating a patchwork of potentially conflicting laws to oversee the emerging industry.

“The question is, do you want these cars to stop at every state line because every state would have a different system,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, at a hearing of the House Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection subcommittee. “We've never done that in America with autos.”