AI Frontier Institute

Autonomous vehicles.

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California Assembly Bill 33 (Aguiar-Curry) adds Sections 38760, 38761, and 38762 to the Vehicle Code to regulate autonomous vehicles (AVs) used to deliver commercial goods. Section 38761 prohibits the delivery of commercial goods—defined in Section 38760 as any goods requiring transportation for a fee or commercial purpose—directly to a residence or business through an AV without a human safety operator on any California highway. Violations carry a $10,000 administrative fine for a first offense and $25,000 for each subsequent violation, with fines deposited into the Motor Vehicle Account in the State Transportation Fund. The Department of Motor Vehicles may also suspend or revoke an AV manufacturer's permit for repeated violations. Section 38762 requires the department, by January 1, 2031 or five years after testing commences (whichever is later), to submit a report to the Legislature evaluating AV technology performance and its impact on public safety and employment in the transportation sector. The report must include a summary of disengagements and crashes, and a recommendation on whether to remove, modify, or maintain the human safety operator requirement. The department must consult the California Highway Patrol, the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the Department of Transportation, the State Air Resources Board, and independent experts while preparing the report. The department is prohibited from issuing a deployment permit for driverless commercial-goods delivery until at least one year after a legislative oversight hearing and only if a later enacted statute expressly authorizes it. The Legislature's findings emphasize road safety risks, potential worker displacement, and the need to balance innovation with job security and public oversight.

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