Autonomous trucking companies are backing provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act that would create a federal framework for automated driving system-equipped commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate commerce. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, on May 22 by a vote of 62 to 2. The committee described the bill as a bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization package covering roads, bridges, transit, rail, highway safety and motor carrier safety programs. It also said the legislation would provide the first federal autonomous commercial motor vehicle framework. For autonomous freight developers, that framework could address one of the sector’s biggest barriers to scale: moving trucks across state lines under rules still largely shaped by state-by-state requirements. Under the bill, the U.S. Department of Transportation would be required within two years of enactment to establish and maintain a performance-based safety standard for ADS-equipped commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate commerce. The bill also would require manufacturers to certify that vehicles meet the federal safety standard before operating under the framework. Daniel Goff, vice president of external affairs at Kodiak, said a federal autonomous commercial motor vehicle framework would “significantly accelerate” Kodiak’s ability to deploy, scale and commercialize autonomous freight operations across the United States. Today, Goff said, autonomous trucking companies must navigate “a patchwork of state-by-state regulations, permitting requirements, and operational restrictions,” which increases complexity and slows expansion into new markets. A comprehensive federal framework, he said, would provide regulatory consistency, reduce compliance burdens, streamline fleet expansion and expedite scaled commercialization. Aurora also framed the legislation as an important signal from Congress. “The inclusion of a first-ever federal framework for autonomous commercial vehicles in the BUILD America 250 Act signals that Congress recognizes the immense potential of autonomous trucking to fortify the American economy,” said