Congressmen Brett Guthrie and Gus Bilirakis announced a legislative hearing to discuss strengthening motor vehicle safety, consumer choice, and the U.S. automotive industry’s leadership. The hearing, scheduled for January 13, 2026, will take place at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C. It will focus on various bills aimed at modernizing vehicle safety standards and promoting automated vehicle technologies.
The hearing will cover multiple proposed bills including the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act and the Safety Is Not for Sale Act of 2026. Other legislation includes the SELF DRIVE Act of 2026, which aims to establish a federal framework for autonomous vehicles.
Finch Fulton from K&L Gates LLP testified before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. Drawing from his experience as a former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Fulton highlighted that human error contributes to over 90% of traffic crashes in the U.S., leading to approximately 40,000 deaths annually. He emphasized that automated driving systems could significantly reduce these fatalities by minimizing unsafe behaviors like speeding and impaired driving.
Fulton advocated for regulatory updates to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and supported recent efforts by the Department of Transportation to create a robust federal framework for automated vehicles. He also stressed the importance of passing the bipartisan SELF-DRIVE Act to ensure consistent safety oversight and reduce regulatory fragmentation across states.
