An Act to direct the work group convened by the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to Chapter 498 of the Acts of Assembly of 2025 to take certain actions.
HB1124 directs an existing work group convened by the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, to study the workforce effects of autonomous vehicles. The required assessment must examine both job losses and job gains associated with autonomous vehicle deployment and must be completed no later than November 1, 2026.
The bill also specifies who should be involved in the study. The work group must include stakeholders and representatives from the auto manufacturing industry as well as labor representatives from the passenger and product carrier business. In effect, the measure does not create a new regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles; instead, it expands the scope of an existing interagency work group to produce a labor-impact analysis.
HB1124 has a limited but targeted impact on Virginia law by directing an existing executive-branch work group to conduct a specific workforce assessment related to autonomous vehicles. It does not itself regulate autonomous vehicle operations, impose new licensing requirements, or alter traffic or safety statutes. Its practical effect is to require state officials and designated stakeholders to produce a report on labor impacts, which may inform future legislation or policy affecting transportation, manufacturing, and freight/passenger carrier employment.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no documented debate or opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text, the measure appears policy-oriented and informational rather than controversial, focusing on data collection and stakeholder consultation. The inclusion of both industry and labor representatives suggests an effort to balance perspectives and anticipate economic disruption from autonomous vehicle adoption.
The main potential point of contention is the scope and framing of the workforce assessment, particularly how to measure job losses versus job gains and which stakeholders should have influence over the findings. Labor representatives may emphasize displacement risks for drivers and carrier workers, while auto manufacturing and autonomous vehicle interests may stress new jobs and innovation benefits. Another possible issue is whether the work group’s deadline and membership requirements are sufficient to produce a meaningful assessment before broader autonomous vehicle deployment accelerates.