Kodiak AI has welcomed the autonomous trucking provisions of the proposed US BUILD America 250 Act, which would create the first federal regulatory framework for AV freight in interstate commerce. The Mountain View-based AV developer said the bipartisan bill would deliver an industry goal of replacing state-level rules with a single federal standard. The bill, announced over the weekend by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen, would create a federal safety standard for autonomous driving system (ADS)-equipped commercial motor vehicles, requiring manufacturers to meet a safety case and reporting requirements. It would also extend the Secretary of Transportation’s preemption authority to ADS-equipped vehicles. In a statement, Don Burnette, Founder and Chief Executive of Kodiak AI, said: “The bill would achieve a significant milestone: the creation of a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for autonomous trucks that would bring further regulatory certainty for the industry and ensure the United States remains the global leader in autonomous vehicle technology.” BUILD America 250 is a five-year US surface transport reauthorisation bill running through FY 2031. Its autonomous trucking provisions also include a transportation rulemaking committee to advise on how federal commercial vehicle rules apply to ADS-equipped trucks and to remote drivers, remote assistants and driverless dispatch operators. Source: Kodiak AI