PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
No official summary is available in the imported record yet.
People & committees
Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] · D–CA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 11, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.R.10033 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-08-03 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposal would require manufacturers and operators of vehicles with automated driving systems to give emergency responders instructions for handling incidents involving those vehicles. It would require an emergency telephone line, federal standards for responder access and control, and compliance with emergency orders and notices to avoid hazardous areas. Coverage would include some vehicles that still require a human driver to take over when asked.
an emergency response guide containing detailed information described in subsection (b) to support the coordination of emergency responders with covered entities and the development of procedures for responding to incidents involving covered vehicles
maintain a telephone hotline that is available for emergency responders to communicate with the covered entity in the event of an emergency, including the ability to coordinate with remote human personnel
the Administrator shall issue a final rule establishing a minimum standard for how covered entities shall enable emergency responders to conduct the activities with covered vehicles that are enumerated under subsection (b)(2)
all emergency orders with which a human driver would need to comply that are issued by a Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments or agencies within the operating region
The term geofence notice means a request issued by a first responder or other Federal, State, Tribal, or local government or agency to a covered entity to have its covered vehicles avoid a geographic area for up to 72 hours to address an emergency, disaster, or other safety hazard
In those circumstances, the human driver must be ready to take back control at any time when the ADS requests the human driver to do so.
Section 1 would name the proposal the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act.
This Act may be cited as the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act.
Coverage would extend to manufacturers and operators that make covered vehicles for sale, sell them, offer them for sale, introduce or deliver them into interstate commerce, import them, or operate them. A covered vehicle would be any vehicle with a qualifying automated driving system, including one with a safety operator. The manufacturer definition includes developers and makers of prototypes.
The term covered entity means a manufacturer or operator that manufactures for sale, sells, offers for sale, introduces or delivers for introduction in interstate commerce, imports into the United States, or operates a covered vehicle.
The term covered vehicle means a vehicle with an Automated Driving System.
The term Automated Driving System or ADS means a Level 3 system, Level 4 system, or Level 5 system and includes hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether it is limited to a specific operational design domain and regardless of the presence of a safety operator.
The term manufacturer means a person developing, fabricating, manufacturing, assembling, or importing motor vehicles or motor vehicle equipment (including pre-production and prototype motor vehicles and equipment).
The covered automation levels range from systems that drive in some circumstances but require a person ready to take over, to systems that drive in limited circumstances without a takeover-ready driver, to systems that do all driving in all circumstances.
A Level 3 system is an Automated Driving System (ADS) on the vehicle that can perform all aspects of the driving task under some circumstances. In those circumstances, the human driver must be ready to take back control at any time when the ADS requests the human driver to do so. In all other circumstances, the human driver performs the driving task.
A Level 4 system is an Automated Driving System (ADS) on the vehicle that can perform all driving tasks and monitor the driving environment (essentially, do all the driving) in certain circumstances without the need for a takeover-ready human driver.
A Level 5 system is an Automated Driving System (ADS) on the vehicle that can do all the driving in all circumstances.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would require a detailed emergency response guide and a concise rescue sheet for urgent use at an incident scene. The agency would establish a uniform submission format and process.
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Administrator shall require, and establish a uniform format and process for, covered entities to submit to the Administrator— (1) an emergency response guide containing detailed information described in subsection (b) to support the coordination of emergency responders with covered entities and the development of procedures for responding to incidents involving covered vehicles; and (2) a clear and concise rescue sheet containing relevant information described in subsection (b) that is intended for use by an emergency responder at the scene of an incident involving a covered vehicle to deal with exigent circumstances.
The documents would explain how the company informs responders and emergency management agencies about vehicle interactions. They would also explain real-time coordination during crashes, unexpected stops, disasters, declared emergencies, major civic events, evacuations, infrastructure failures, and responder activity unrelated to automated vehicles.
Each emergency response guide and rescue sheet submitted in accordance with subsection (a) shall detail— (1) the process by which a covered entity informs emergency responders and emergency management agencies in the operating region of how the covered vehicle interacts with emergency responders
communicate with a covered entity, including through the hotline required under subsection (f), to coordinate on the safe operations of its covered vehicles during, and respond in real time to, incidents involving its covered vehicles, including— (i) collisions; (ii) unplanned stoppage events; (iii) natural disasters, including floods, earthquakes, wildfires, severe storms, and extreme heat; (iv) declared emergencies, major civic events, and evacuations; (v) major infrastructure failures; and (vi) first responder activity unrelated to the operation of autonomous vehicles
The documents would describe how responders can move, disable, immobilize and tow a vehicle; determine whether its driving system, engine and other relevant systems are active; address hazards; and reach or communicate with occupants during an emergency.
(B) move, disable, immobilize, and tow a covered vehicle; (C) identify the operational status of a covered vehicle, including whether the automated driving system is activated, the status of its engine, and the status of any other vehicle systems that may affect emergency response; (D) identify and mitigate hazards related to a covered vehicle involved in a collision, unplanned stoppage event, or follow-up response involving a second responder or public official; (E) access the occupants of a covered vehicle in an emergency, including how emergency responders may— (i) physically extricate occupants; and (ii) communicate with occupants in real time when an emergency responder is outside the vehicle
The documents would also describe how responders can issue geographic avoidance notices, communicate with people who can control a vehicle remotely, and preserve and recover company data and video for specified incident investigations.
(F) issue geofence notices to a covered entity; (G) communicate with remote human personnel; and (H) preserve and recover data and video from a covered entity to investigate a covered vehicle’s involvement in a collision, unplanned stoppage event, or follow-up response involving a second responder or public official.
The term remote human personnel means a human being not physically present within a covered vehicle who has situational awareness of and the ability to move, direct, or immobilize such vehicle on their own or as directed by an emergency responder.
Before operating covered vehicles or undertaking the listed sales, commerce or import activities for public-road use in a region, a company would have to give local responder agencies, emergency management agencies and transportation authorities written notice, a contact and the response documents. It could distribute these through a state, Tribal or local government. The information would still be required before the federal format exists.
Each covered entity shall provide in writing to each first responder agency, emergency management agency, and transportation authority in the operating region, or work with a State, Tribal, or local government to distribute such information to each such agency and authority— (A) prior to a covered entity operating a covered vehicle on a public road or selling, offering for sale, introducing, delivering for introduction in interstate commerce, or importing into the United States a covered vehicle for operation on a public road within such operating region— (i) notice that it is planning to operate therein; (ii) a point of contact at the covered entity for such agency or authority to communicate with the covered entity regarding emergency situations and non-emergency issues; and (iii) the emergency response guide and rescue sheet consistent with the uniform process and format established by the Administrator, as required under subsection (a), but, in the absence of such a process and format, the information otherwise required under subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2)
The term operating region means the geographic areas in which a covered vehicle operates, regardless of whether such vehicle was designed to operate in such areas, and geographic areas in which a covered entity imminently plans to have its covered vehicles operate.
Initial federal submission would use the later of two timing requirements: no later than 180 days after enactment, or before the company begins the listed public-road operations, sales, commerce or import activities.
submit the emergency response guide and rescue sheet to the Administrator on the later of the date that is— (i) no later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act; or (ii) prior to a covered entity operating a covered vehicle on public roads or selling, offering for sale, introducing, delivering for introduction in interstate commerce, or importing into the United States a covered vehicle for operation on public roads
For material vehicle or software changes affecting the required subjects, the update provision specifies the later of 30 days before the change or, for changes posing the specified unreasonable safety risk, as soon as practicable. Regional agencies and authorities would have to receive updated documents within five days after a material document update has been submitted to the federal agency.
submit to the Administrator any updated version of such guide and rescue sheet on the later of the date that is— (i) 30 days prior to making material changes to the vehicle or system, including its software, that affect the subject areas described in subsection (b); or (ii) as soon as practicable for material changes to the vehicle or system, including its software, that pose an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety or vulnerable road users materially related to the subject areas described in subsection (b).
any updated version of such guide and rescue sheet not later than 5 days after an emergency response guide and rescue sheet has been materially updated and submitted to the Administrator pursuant to paragraph (2)(B)
The federal agency would maintain a searchable public repository usable on mobile devices. Each submitted guide and rescue sheet would have to become public within 10 days of receipt.
The Administrator shall establish and maintain on a mobile friendly website a searchable, publicly available, and central repository of emergency response guides and rescue sheets submitted under this subsection.
The Administrator shall make each emergency response guide and rescue sheet submitted under this subsection publicly available not later than 10 days after the date on which the Administrator receives such guide or sheet.
Within two years after enactment, the federal agency would have to issue minimum standards enabling the listed responder activities. It would consult experienced state and local agencies, disaster-preparedness organizations, covered companies, safety and disability organizations, and standard-setting organizations, and consider existing private standards.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue a final rule establishing a minimum standard for how covered entities shall enable emergency responders to conduct the activities with covered vehicles that are enumerated under subsection (b)(2).
consult with— (i) State and local agencies that have experience collaborating with covered entities, including agencies that employ first responders and second responders and transportation authorities; (ii) State and local emergency management agencies and other entities that prepare communities for disasters, including earthquakes, wildfires, severe storms, extreme heat, and flooding; (iii) covered entities; (iv) organizations that work to advance traffic safety and pedestrian safety; (v) organizations that advance the interests of bicyclists and other vulnerable road users; (vi) organizations that advance the interests of people with disabilities; and (vii) relevant standard-setting organizations; and (B) consider standards already developed by private entities.
No later than one year after that final rule, compliance would be required for public-road operation and the listed sales, commerce and import activities. On request, the agency could give vehicles already operating on public roads when the rule was issued an exemption lasting up to one additional year.
Not later than 1 year after a final rule issued pursuant to paragraph (1), a covered entity shall not operate a covered vehicle on a public road or sell, offer for sale, introduce, deliver for introduction in interstate commerce, or import into the United States a covered vehicle for operation on a public road, unless it is compliant with the standards promulgated under paragraph (1).
Upon the request of a covered entity, the Administrator may grant an exemption from the requirement under subparagraph (A) lasting no more than 1 additional year for covered vehicles already operating on public roads at the time of the issuance of a final rule pursuant to paragraph (1).
Within 180 days after enactment, the agency would have to issue a separate rule on government issuance of geographic avoidance notices and company receipt of and response to those notices and other emergency orders.
Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue a final rule establishing a process by which a Federal, State, or local government agency may issue a geofence notice to a covered entity pursuant to subsection (g) and the required process by which covered entities receive and respond to such notice and other emergency orders.
Starting no later than 90 days after enactment, each covered company would have to maintain an emergency responder hotline at all times, answer callers within 30 seconds, and enable coordination with personnel who can control vehicles remotely.
Beginning no later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, a covered entity shall— (1) maintain a telephone hotline that is available for emergency responders to communicate with the covered entity in the event of an emergency, including the ability to coordinate with remote human personnel; (2) ensure availability of such hotline at all times; and (3) respond to callers on such hotline within 30 seconds.
A geofence notice would mean a responder or government request for covered vehicles to avoid an area because of an emergency, disaster or safety hazard. The definition provides for up to 72 hours, rescission by the issuer, and extensions through reissued requests when the issuer determines vehicle operation remains a safety hazard.
The term geofence notice means a request issued by a first responder or other Federal, State, Tribal, or local government or agency to a covered entity to have its covered vehicles avoid a geographic area for up to 72 hours to address an emergency, disaster, or other safety hazard, until the issuer sends notice of the rescission of such a request, but a request may be extended by the issuer of such request if the issuer determines that the operation of a covered vehicle in such a geographic area poses an ongoing safety hazard and reissues such request.
Starting no later than 180 days after enactment, subsection (g) would condition operation without a physically present human driver, and the listed sales, commerce and import activities, on compliance with geographic avoidance notices and applicable emergency orders. Notices would require compliance within two minutes or through the agency's prescribed process; operation merely to remove a vehicle from the affected area would be allowed.
Beginning not later than 180 days after the enactment of this Act, a covered entity shall not operate a covered vehicle without a human driver physically present on a public road or sell, offer for sale, introduce, deliver for introduction in interstate commerce, or import into the United States a covered vehicle for operation on a public road unless it is compliant with— (1) all geofence notices within 2 minutes of their issuance or through the process established by the Administrator under subsection (e)(4), or operated merely to remove a covered vehicle from an area subject to a geofence notice; and (2) all emergency orders with which a human driver would need to comply that are issued by a Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments or agencies within the operating region.
The enforcement provision would insert references to the proposal's submission and distribution requirements, standards-compliance requirement, hotline requirement, and geographic avoidance requirements into 49 U.S.C. 30165(a)(1). The supplied text does not reproduce that existing statutory provision.
Section 30165(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting sections (c), (e)(3), (f), or (g) of the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act, after 30127,.
When multiple covered companies would perform materially duplicative compliance work, only one would have to carry it out. A company would nevertheless remain responsible for ensuring compliance when another entity acts on its behalf.
When compliance with a provision of this Act by more than one covered entity would result in materially duplicative activities, only one such covered entity shall be required to comply with such provision, but a covered entity shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with all relevant provisions of this Act even when another entity carries out such activities on its behalf.
An 'unplanned stoppage event' would include an automated-system-caused stop in a travel lane requiring assistance, or interference with transit, law enforcement, first responders or work zones. The definition excludes collisions and incidents intentionally caused by a human driver.
The term unplanned stoppage event means an event, other than a collision or an incident intentionally caused by a human driver, during which, as a result of an Automated Driving System, a covered vehicle— (A) stops on a public road in a travel lane and is unable to proceed without retrieval, manual intervention, or the assistance of remote human personnel; (B) interferes with the normal functioning of public transit or public transit vehicles, including light rail; (C) interferes with the activities of law enforcement or first responders; or (D) interferes with a construction or work zone.
The proposal defines vulnerable road users as people who are not occupants of motor vehicles with more than three wheels. Its examples include pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, wheelchair users, and riders or occupants of certain other vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and tractors.
The term vulnerable road user— (A) means any individual who is not an occupant of a motor vehicle with more than 3 wheels; and (B) includes— (i) pedestrians; (ii) bicyclists; (iii) motorcyclists; (iv) individuals traveling in wheelchairs; and (v) riders or occupants of other transport vehicles that are not motor vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and tractors.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated August 11, 2026, records House introduction on August 3, 2026, and referral that day to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and additionally to the Energy and Commerce Committee for provisions within their respective jurisdictions.
Source snapshot updated 2026-08-11T15:38:34Z.
2026-08-03: Introduced in House
2026-08-03: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-08-03. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status in accompanying materials cannot be established.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains a limited, discretionary compliance exemption for an existing-vehicle category. Classification identifies preferential treatment without judging its justification.
Covered companies could request up to one additional year of exemption from the emergency-procedure standards requirement for vehicles already operating on public roads when the final rule is issued. This would give that existing fleet category additional transition time within the bill's main safety policy; the exemption would require agency approval.
Not later than 1 year after a final rule issued pursuant to paragraph (1), a covered entity shall not operate a covered vehicle on a public road or sell, offer for sale, introduce, deliver for introduction in interstate commerce, or import into the United States a covered vehicle for operation on a public road, unless it is compliant with the standards promulgated under paragraph (1).
Upon the request of a covered entity, the Administrator may grant an exemption from the requirement under subparagraph (A) lasting no more than 1 additional year for covered vehicles already operating on public roads at the time of the issuance of a final rule pursuant to paragraph (1).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Aug 11, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI