New York Senate Bill S00344

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Provides that a person may operate a fully autonomous vehicle on the public roads of this state without a human driver provided that the automated driving system is engaged and the vehicle meets certain conditions; defines terms; requires insurance and that such vehicle is registered as a fully autonomous vehicle; makes related provisions.

Summary

This bill creates a new framework in the Vehicle and Traffic Law for the operation of fully autonomous vehicles in New York. It defines key terms such as automated driving system, fully autonomous vehicle, minimal risk condition, and on-demand autonomous vehicle network, and it authorizes operation of a level 4 or level 5 autonomous vehicle on public roads without a human driver when the system is engaged and certain safety conditions are met. Those conditions include the vehicle’s ability to reach a minimal risk condition after a system failure, compliance with applicable traffic and motor vehicle laws when reasonable, and required federal safety certification where applicable. The bill also sets out administrative requirements for autonomous vehicle deployment. Before operating without a human driver, an owner or operator must submit a law enforcement interaction plan to the Department of Motor Vehicles, provide proof of insurance or self-insurance, and ensure the vehicle is properly registered and titled as a fully autonomous vehicle. It also addresses crash reporting, requires the vehicle to remain at the scene when required by law, and allows autonomous vehicles to operate in on-demand transportation networks such as taxis or transportation network companies, with human-driver-specific rules excluded where they do not apply.

Impact

The bill would add a new Article 34-E to the Vehicle and Traffic Law and create related provisions on equipment and inspection standards for fully autonomous vehicles. It would deem the automated driving system to be the driver or operator when engaged, treat it as licensed for compliance purposes, exempt fully autonomous vehicles from certain human-driver-oriented equipment and inspection requirements, and limit local regulation by preempting most state and municipal restrictions or additional requirements. The Department of Motor Vehicles would become the sole state agency implementing the article, although New York City would retain authority to adopt local rules for vehicles operating within the city.

Sentiment

The bill appears generally supportive of autonomous vehicle deployment and is structured to facilitate testing and commercial operation rather than restrict it. The absence of recorded votes or committee transcript excerpts suggests no documented floor-level controversy in the provided materials, but the bill’s detailed safety, insurance, and reporting requirements indicate an effort to balance innovation with public safety concerns. Overall, the measure reads as a pro-autonomy regulatory framework with guardrails.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are likely to be public safety, liability, and the scope of state versus local control. The bill centralizes authority in the Department of Motor Vehicles and broadly preempts local governments from imposing additional taxes, fees, performance standards, or operational requirements, which could concern municipalities and transit regulators. It also raises questions about how law enforcement will interact with driverless vehicles, how crashes and system failures will be handled, and whether existing traffic and equipment laws should apply to vehicles that do not use a human driver. New York City is singled out as the only local government permitted to adopt its own rules, which may also be a point of debate.