[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 164

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 15, 2018

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman  ANDREW ZWICKER

District 16 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset)

Assemblywoman  PAMELA R. LAMPITT

District 6 (Burlington and Camden)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Pinkin, Assemblymen Conaway, Freiman, Assemblywoman Quijano and Assemblyman Houghtaling

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Establishes “New Jersey Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force.”

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee on October 22, 2018, with amendments.

  


A Joint Resolution establishing the “New Jersey Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force.”

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    a.  There is established a task force to be known as 1the1 “New Jersey Advanced Autonomous Vehicle Task Force.” The purpose of the task force shall be to conduct a study of advanced autonomous vehicles and to make recommendations on laws, rules, and regulations that this State may enact 1or adopt1 to safely integrate advanced autonomous vehicles on the State’s highways, streets, and roads.

     b.    The task force shall consist of 1[7] eight1 members as follows:

     (1)  the Commissioner of Transportation, who shall serve ex officio, or the commissioner’s designee;

     (2)  the Chief Administrator of the 1New Jersey1 Motor Vehicle Commission, who shall serve ex officio, or the chief administrator’s designee;

     (3)  the Director of the Division of Highway Traffic Safety in the Department of Law and Public Safety, who shall serve ex officio, or the director’s designee;

     (4)  1[two] three1 public members, who shall be appointed by the Governor, one with an expertise in highway 1[transportation] traffic1 safety 1[and] ,1 one with an expertise in autonomous vehicle technology 1, and one, who shall be appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance, with an expertise in automobile insurance1;

     (5)  one public member appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the President of the Senate, with an expertise in highway 1[transportation] traffic1 safety; and

     (6)  one public member appointed by the Governor upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the General Assembly, with an expertise in autonomous vehicle technology;

     c.    Within 90 days after the effective date of P.L.    , c.    (C.    ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), 1[a majority of]1 the task force's authorized membership shall be appointed and the task force shall hold its initial meeting. The task force shall organize upon the appointment of a majority of its authorized membership and shall elect a chair from among its members. The members of the task force shall serve for the duration of the existence of the task
force. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The task force members shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the extent that funds are available for that purpose.

     d.    Not later than 180 days after the initial meeting of the task force, the task force shall issue a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature, which shall include, but not be limited to, an evaluation of the National Highway 1[Transportation] Traffic1 Safety Administration’s safety standards for advanced autonomous vehicles and whether 1[this] the1 State 1[may] should1 enact stricter safety standards, an evaluation of existing state and federal law concerning advanced autonomous vehicles with a focus on safety standards, an evaluation of existing legislation and regulations in other states concerning advanced autonomous vehicles with a focus on safety standards, recommendations on how this State could safely integrate advanced autonomous vehicles on its highways, streets, and roads, any other information relevant to the subject of the report, and any draft legislation the task force deems appropriate to implement the purposes of P.L.    , c.    (C.    ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

     e.    The task force shall be entitled to the assistance and services of the employees of any State board, bureau, commission, or agency as it may require, and as may be available to it for these purposes including, but not limited to, stenographic and clerical assistants within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to it for its purposes.

     f.     The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and the Department of Transportation shall assist the task force in the performance of its duties and provide the task force with studies, data, or other materials in the possession of those entities, to the extent that such are relevant to the purposes of the task force.

     g.    As used in P.L.    , c.    (C.    ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):

     “Advanced autonomous vehicle” means a motor vehicle equipped with autonomous technology that has a driving automation level of three, four, or five, as defined in the SAE J3016, which is an information report related to automated driving systems issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers International and is used by the United States Department of Transportation for autonomous vehicle policy guidance.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the issuance of the report submitted by the task force pursuant to section 1 of P.L.    , c.    (C.    ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).