This bill prohibits states from issuing a motor vehicle operator’s license for ADS-equipped vehicles operating at SAE Level 4 or Level 5 in a manner that discriminates against a qualified individual with a disability, grounding the rule in the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also directs the Secretary of Transportation to pursue an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a study on how public transportation infrastructure can be changed to improve access to ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicles for people with disabilities, including during pickup and dropoff, and to consider non-visual access and related design measures.
The bill authorizes $5 million to fund the study, available until expended.
At a Glance
What It Does
The act blocks states from issuing licenses for Level 4/5 ADS-equipped vehicles when doing so would discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability, aligning licensing practices with ADA protections. It also defines key terms (including ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicle and Level 4/5) based on SAE J3016.
Who It Affects
State DMVs, ride-hail operators, and people with disabilities who rely on driverless ride-hail services.
Why It Matters
It creates a federal nondiscrimination floor for licensing and starts a federal study to plan accessibility-focused infrastructure, potentially expanding viable mobility options for people with disabilities.
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What This Bill Actually Does
Section 2 sets the core terms the bill uses, including what counts as an ADS-equipped vehicle, what Level 4 and Level 5 mean, and how the law treats disability under the ADA. It uses SAE’s J3016 definitions to avoid ambiguity about when a vehicle is driverless and how it operates in ride-hail service scenarios.
Section 3 then makes a simple but high-stakes rule: states cannot issue a motor vehicle license to operate an ADS-equipped vehicle at Level 4 or Level 5 if licensing would discriminate against a qualified person with a disability. This creates a federal standard intended to curb discriminatory licensing behavior by states.
Section 4 shifts to proactive planning: the Secretary of Transportation must seek an agreement with the National Academies to study how to change public transportation infrastructure to make ride-hail ADS vehicles more accessible—addressing pickup and dropoff, curb management, sidewalk and roadway design, dedicated zones, and non-visual access among other factors. Finally, Section 5 provides an appropriation of $5 million to fund the study, with the money remaining available until expended.
This package signals both a rights-based protection for potential riders and a forward-looking infrastructure agenda to enable practical accessibility improvements.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill prohibits states from issuing Level 4/5 ADS licenses in a way that discriminates against qualified individuals with disabilities.
It relies on SAE J3016 definitions for ADS terms (Level 4/5, driverless operation).
The Secretary of Transportation must partner with the National Academies to study accessibility improvements for ride-hail ADS, including curb management and non-visual access.
The study focuses on infrastructure changes to improve pickup/dropoff access and overall usability for disabled riders.
A $5 million appropriation funds the accessibility study, available until expended.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Definitions
This section codifies key terms that frame the bill’s scope. It ties disability to the ADA definition in 42 U.S.C. 12102 and defines ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicles as those offering pre-arranged transportation via an app or platform and dispatched in driverless operation. It also adopts SAE J3016 language for ADS-related terms (ADS-equipped vehicle, Level 4, Level 5, dispatch, driverless operation) to ensure consistent interpretation across agencies and stakeholders. The definitions create a precise baseline for what counts as a driverless ride-hail vehicle and how disabilities are considered in licensing and eligibility.
Licensing
States may not issue a motor vehicle operator’s license for an ADS-equipped vehicle operating at SAE Level 4 or Level 5 if doing so would discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability under the ADA. This creates a federal nondiscrimination constraint on state licensing practice, aligning licensing with disability rights protections and reducing the risk of exclusionary rules that could bar capable users from accessing driverless ride-hail services.
Accessible Infrastructure Study
The Secretary shall seek an agreement with the National Academies to conduct a study assessing infrastructure changes that would improve access to ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicles for individuals with disabilities, including at pickup and dropoff. The study must consider non-visual access and a range of design solutions such as dynamic curb management, sidewalk and roadway design, dedicated pickup/drop-off zones, curb extensions, and other factors that facilitate safe and reliable access for riders with disabilities.
Authorization of Appropriations
Section 5 authorizes $5,000,000 to carry out Section 4, with funds available for obligation until expended. This provides a dedicated, one-time budget to commission and support the National Academies’ study and ensures that the infrastructure research component has a defined fiscal path.
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Explore Transportation in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Qualified individuals with disabilities seeking to use Level 4/5 ADS-equipped ride-hail services will experience nondiscriminatory licensing pathways and broader mobility options.
- Disability rights organizations and advocates gain a stronger, codified basis for asserting accessible mobility standards in autonomous transportation.
- Autonomous ride-hail platforms and providers that implement accessible design and curb-management features may gain clearer regulatory expectations and broader user bases.
- State Departments of Motor Vehicles receive a clear federal standard that helps prevent discriminatory licensing actions and reduces potential litigation risk.
- National Academies and participating research institutions benefit from a federal engagement to study accessibility challenges and solutions in ride-hail infrastructure.
Who Bears the Cost
- State DMVs may face higher administrative costs to ensure licensing practices comply with the nondiscrimination requirement.
- Ride-hail platforms and operators may incur costs to implement accessibility features (curb management, non-visual access, signage) and to align with new licensing standards.
- Local governments and public agencies may need to adapt curb spaces and pickup/drop-off zones to support accessible ADS operations.
- The U.S. Treasury bears the cost of the $5 million appropriation for the study, distributed to the National Academies.
- Federal agencies would incur ongoing administrative overhead to oversee and coordinate the study and related compliance activities.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is between guaranteeing non-discriminatory access to driverless ride-hail and the practical realities of implementing comprehensive accessibility improvements across transportation networks, which require substantial funding, cross-jurisdictional coordination, and time to materialize.
The bill moves quickly from a nondiscrimination licensing rule to a federally funded infrastructure study, creating a potential implementation gap between legal rights and practical access. While the licensing provision protects disabled riders from exclusionary practice, the infrastructure study depends on coordination across federal, state, and local levels, and its recommendations may require further statutory or budgetary action.
The scope of the study—curb management, dedicated zones, and non-visual access—contains technical, logistical, and cost challenges, and the degree to which local jurisdictions can or will adopt recommended changes remains uncertain. The interaction between ADA protections and evolving autonomous vehicle technology also raises questions about safety standards, liability, and the pace of deployment in diverse urban environments.
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