Congressman introduces federal bill on AV emergency response

Rep. Kevin Mullin introduced the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act on July 28, a federal bill directing NHTSA to set minimum national standards for how autonomous-vehicle operators coordinate with first responders, including a 24-hour hotline for officials and the ability to geofence AVs out of active emergency scenes. The bill follows a string of incidents involving Waymo vehicles blocking firefighters and police, including a July 4 San Francisco fireworks gridlock, and is distinct from the NHTSA warning letters the agency sent robotaxi operators in early July.