California Lawmakers Try Again for Drivers in Autonomous Trucks

A top California lawmaker will push again this year to require drivers in autonomous trucks after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed union-backed legislation on the issue in 2023, signaling the issue will continue to persist despite tech opposition.

Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D) told Bloomberg Law she will introduce a bill similar to the legislation passed last year even as Newsom has not changed his position and still has three years left in his term. The move highlights friction in Sacramento between labor unions and the tech industry over the future of automation and the emergence of artificial intelligence.

“This is still a compelling issue from a jobs and public safety perspective,” she said.

Aguiar-Curry’s bill (A.B. 316) passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support but met with opposition from the state’s influential tech industry, which argued autonomous trucks will make roads safer and that the measure would stifle the development of such technologies in the state. The bill’s backers contend autonomous trucks will put drivers out of work. Supporters of the legislation also argue driverless technology is not yet safe for public streets and are emboldened after state regulators in October yanked the license for Cruise to operate driverless taxis, accusing the General Motors subsidiary of withholding video from a crash in San Francisco.

Legislators Reconvene

California legislators returned to the state capitol Wednesday, and Aguiar-Curry is likely to introduce her legislation on autonomous trucks sometime before mid-February, with language similar to last year’s bill. While a veto override would require supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature, last year’s bill passed by even larger margins—36-2 in the state Senate and 69-4 in the Assembly.

By taking up a new bill, lawmakers may avoid some of the political awkwardness that would come with overriding one of the governor’s vetoes by a Democratic-controlled legislature. The governor still could veto the new bill if it passes. Aguiar-Curry said, though, that introducing the bill will “start the conversation” on the issue this year.

Driverless trucks are not currently operating on California’s roads. State regulations don’t allow for the testing or deployment of autonomous vehicles with a gross weight over 10,000 pounds. But the state Department of Motor Vehicles held hearings last year to get input on new regulations that would allow for the testing of such vehicles. A spokesperson for the department said this week it expects to release draft regulations by the spring.

Aguiar-Curry’s bill last year would have required vehicles with a gross vehicle weight over 10,000 pounds to include a “safety operator.” The operator would be required to have all the certifications needed to drive the vehicle, regardless of whether it is in automated mode.

Under the measure, if the state Department of Motor Vehicles ever approves testing of autonomous trucks, the agency would be required to report back to the legislature on vehicle performance, public safety, and effects on employment in the transportation industry.

That report would be required at least five years after the start of testing.

Newsom wrote in a veto message in September that the measure is not needed, contending the current regulatory framework “sufficiently governs this particular technology.”

Asked about plans to revive the bill, the governor’s office pointed back to his veto message.

Aguiar-Curry argued the measure is still warranted as the governor and the current head of the state DMV may not be in their roles by the time autonomous trucks are on state roads, maintaining that the legislation would ensure “guardrails” for the emerging technology.

“The current administration that’s in there now will probably not be in office when these are implemented. We need to have something in place,” she said.

Jeff Farrah, CEO of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, echoed Newsom’s argument that such legislation is unnecessary but also argued there is room for both human drivers and autonomous vehicles in the sprawling state.

“Let’s be clear: California needs both truck drivers and autonomous trucks to alleviate supply chain challenges and support farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers,” he said. “Truck drivers and autonomous trucks will thrive together in the future and the autonomous vehicle industry looks forward to continued dialogue with California policymakers on this important topic.”

Lobbying Push

The legislation has rallied powerful forces at the state capitol, where Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien personally led a convoy of trucks up to the front steps of the legislature last year in a direct appeal for Newsom to sign Aguiar-Curry’s bill. O’Brien also warned that Teamsters would remember Newsom’s actions—hinting the union’s more than 1.3 million members could be a powerful friend or enemy if the governor is to run for higher office.

Meanwhile, several high-profile companies reported lobbying on the bill last year, including Tesla Inc., Daimler Truck, FedEx Corp. and UPS Inc., where the Teamsters recently negotiated a new contract with pay increases for drivers.

In disclosures filed with the California Secretary of State, Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo LLC reported spending more than $1.9 million on lobbying in the first three quarters of the year—more than seven times what it spent in all of 2022—as the company sought to influence policy on autonomous truck legislation and an expansion of its license to operate robotaxi services.

Waymo is also ramping up lobbying efforts in Albany as it seeks to expand driverless taxi services in New York.