SB229 Alabama 2020 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Gerald H. AllenSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2020

Title

Motor vehicles, automated commercial motor vehicles and vehicles with teleoperation systems, approval by ALEA of vehicle required, criminal penalties, routes approval by Transportation, adoption of rules, Act 2019-496, 2019 Reg. Sess., am'd; Secs. 32-9B-1, 32-9B-2, 32-9B-3, 32-9B-6, 32-9B-7 am'd.

Summary

SB229 would regulate automated and teleoperated commercial motor vehicles in Alabama by requiring state approvals, setting safety and route rules, and establishing penalties and liability standards.

What This Bill Does

It requires automated CMVs and CMVs with teleoperation to be tested and approved by ALEA and ALDOT before operating in Alabama; violations can lead to fines and vehicle impoundment or immobilization. Routes used by these vehicles must be approved by ALDOT, and the agencies can adopt rules to govern their operation. The bill adds detailed definitions and creates a framework for operating ACMVs without a conventional driver if criteria are met, including federal compliance, proper registration, federal safety certification, a minimal risk condition, and at least $2 million in liability coverage. For teleoperation, a remote driver in Alabama may operate one CMV at a time and is treated as the legal operator for traffic laws, with licensing, accident procedures, testing, and consent requirements relevant to enforcement.

Who It Affects

• Operators and owners of automated commercial motor vehicles and CMVs with teleoperation systems; they would need pre-operation approvals, testing, route permissions, meet insurance and safety standards, and could face penalties or impoundment for noncompliance.
• Law enforcement and state agencies (ALEA, Department of Revenue, Department of Transportation) responsible for testing, approvals, route designations, and enforcement, as well as road users who share the roads and would be affected by safety and routing rules.

Key Provisions

• Defines terms related to automated commercial motor vehicles, automated driving systems, remote drivers, and teleoperation systems.
• Requires pre-operation testing and approval of automated CMVs and teleoperation-equipped CMVs by ALEA and the Department of Transportation; violations may result in a $100 fine per violation and impoundment or immobilization of the vehicle.
• Requires routes for ACMVs and teleoperation CMVs to be approved by the Department of Transportation.
• Authorizes ALEA, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Transportation to adopt rules governing the operation of automated CMVs and teleoperation systems.
• Allows operation of automated CMVs without a conventional driver if certain criteria are met, including compliance with laws, proper registration, federal safety certification, ability to achieve a minimal risk condition, and at least $2,000,000 in liability insurance.
• Allows teleoperation CMVs to operate without a driver if a remote driver in Alabama operates the vehicle one at a time, with the remote driver treated as the operator for violations and required to hold the appropriate license; accident procedures and testing/consent provisions apply.
• Requires teleoperation system CMVs to meet federal standards, be route-approved by DOT, and carry at least $2,000,000 liability coverage; mandates a minimal risk condition in case of system failure.
• Effective date set as the first day of the third month after passage/approval; plus a note that local expenditure requirements are exempted due to specified exceptions in the constitutional amendment.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 23, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Motor Vehicles