U.S. Legislative Issues

 

On January 12, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its decision to maintain the current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for Model Years (MY) 2022-2025 cars and light trucks. Automakers criticized the ruling as political, premature and unfair, arguing that it was issued more than a year before the previously agreed upon April 2018 deadline. 

To give the new administration an opportunity to shape the outcome, 18 auto CEOs sent a letter to President Trump on February 10 asking that he return the review to its original schedule. Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said the letter reflects the industry’s desire to "put the review back on track and have the data drive the outcome" of the analysis. "What we’re really trying to do is just restore the process, and because the process was truncated, we don’t really know what the standards should be," Bergquist said.

Automakers agreed to the 2025 efficiency rules in 2011 as part of a landmark deal brokered by the Obama administration to boost fuel economy to a fleet average of more than 50 miles per gallon (mpg) by 2025. The deal aligned GHG limits set by the EPA and California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) with fuel economy regulations governed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To solidify buy-in from the auto industry, the Obama administration agreed to a midterm evaluation (MTE) to re-evaluate the economic and technological feasibility of meeting or exceeding the fuel efficiency standards for passenger cars and light trucks. 

NHTSA, currently working on its portion of the review, has until April 2018 to decide if the MY 2022–2025 GHG emissions standards are achievable or whether they need to be changed.

 

On February 13, 2017, Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee John Thune (R-SD), and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) announced their goal of developing bipartisan legislation this year that would advance autonomous vehicle technology as part of a major congressional effort to speed up the deployment of self-driving cars.

"As we seek to identify areas where Congress should assist innovators in bringing this new technology to our roads, we will work closely with our colleagues, interested safety and mobility advocates, and other leaders in automated vehicle technology to find solutions that enable the safe testing and deployment of self-driving vehicles and assure public confidence," the senators said in a statement.

Congress has held a number of hearings on the emerging technology, but major federal laws governing the development and operation of self-driving vehicles have not materialized. Last fall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released voluntary guidelines that included a 15-point safety assessment for automakers. NHTSA hopes to eventually take this checklist through the formal rulemaking process.

The announcement preceded a February 14 hearing held by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection exploring driverless cars, in which automakers strongly urged lawmakers to ease current industry safety regulations. They also asked lawmakers to take steps to prevent the emergence of a patchwork of state laws that they say hampers their development work.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently launched a redesigned New Entrant Program website, updated to help motor carriers understand their responsibilities during their first 18 months on the road. The enhanced website introduces carriers to federal safety regulations and explains how FMCSA and State Partners monitor carrier safety compliance during the New Entrant Program via safety audits.

To help carriers understand what to expect during a safety audit, FMCSA also launched a guidebook to help carriers prepare by gathering documentation that auditors might request to verify compliance with safety regulations. Once a carrier successfully completes the New Entrant Program, they continue to be monitored through roadside inspections and State crash reports under FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) safety compliance and enforcement program.