Bill
HB 1614
NDDOT must study infrastructure readiness, safety data, liability, and privacy for autonomous/semiautonomous vehicles on ND highways, and report findings and draft laws by Aug 1, 2026
Status: Introduced Dec 13, 2024. Second reading — failed to pass (yeas 2, nays 43). Died in committee at sine die adjournment (2025).
Purpose
- Direct the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) to conduct a study during the 2025–26 interim to develop a preemptive regulatory and statutory framework for operation of autonomous and semiautonomous vehicles on the North Dakota highway system, and report findings and recommended legislation to Legislative Management.
Key provisions
- Study scope (required topics)
- Infrastructure readiness: a process for identifying where state highway infrastructure is or is not prepared for widespread deployment of autonomous/semiautonomous vehicle technologies.
- Safety and incident data: a process to review accident and traffic data for autonomous/semiautonomous systems, including independent oversight of industry operators' reporting.
- Liability: evaluation of whether rules are needed concerning accident liability for autonomous/semiautonomous vehicle technologies.
- Privacy and data security: identification of common vulnerabilities related to privacy/data security and proposed solutions.
- Deliverable and timeline
- The NDDOT must complete the study during the 2025–26 interim and report findings, recommendations, and any draft legislation necessary to implement recommendations to Legislative Management before August 1, 2026.
- Related statutory amendment (proposed in committee report)
- Committee materials included proposed changes to North Dakota Century Code §39‑01‑01 to add a definition of “automated truck tractor”: “a truck tractor that is towing a trailer or semitrailer and at least one aspect of a safety critical control function of the truck tractor occurs without direct input from an individual operating the truck tractor.” The committee also proposed creating a new section to chapter 39‑10 regarding operation of automated truck tractors.
Who would be affected
- NDDOT: responsible for conducting the study and preparing the report.
- Freight and trucking industry, autonomous vehicle manufacturers and operators: potential future regulation, permitting, reporting and liability changes.
- Motorists, local governments and roadway planners: potential infrastructure investments or operational limits.
- Insurers, law enforcement, privacy and cybersecurity stakeholders: potential new rules on liability reporting and data protection.
Potential impact
- If implemented, the study could lead to statutory/regulatory changes governing where and how autonomous or semiautonomous vehicles—especially automated truck tractors—may operate, reporting/oversight requirements, liability allocations after crashes, and state standards for data privacy and security. It is primarily a preparatory step (study/report) rather than immediate regulation.
Procedural / timeline notes
- Study period: 2025–26 interim. Report due to Legislative Management by August 1, 2026.
- Legislative history: Introduced Dec 13, 2024; committee amendments and related draft statutory language were circulated (including the automated truck tractor definition). On second reading the bill failed to pass (yeas 2, nays 43) and did not advance before adjournment.
Note on packet materials
- The submitted document packet contained multiple unrelated drafts and versions from other states (Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi) labeled HB 1614; those are separate measures and are not part of the North Dakota HB 1614 (the NDDOT study bill) summarized here.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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