Senator Cortese’s SB 1246 Advances, Putting Autonomous Vehicle Companies on the Hook for Emergency Response Failures SACRAMENTO, CA — California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) today announced that his Senate Bill 1246 (SB 1246), legislation establishing stronger accountability, transparency, and emergency-response standards for autonomous vehicle (AV) companies, has advanced out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file. As autonomous vehicles continue to expand across California, SB 1246 ensures that public safety and emergency response keep pace with the technology. The bill would establish statewide standards for remote AV operations, require stronger communication between AV companies and first responders, and give local emergency personnel the tools they need to respond when autonomous vehicles become disabled, obstruct traffic, or interfere with emergency operations. “Autonomous vehicles are no longer a futuristic concept—they are operating on our streets today, and our laws need to catch up,” said Senator Dave Cortese. “When an autonomous vehicle blocks a fire truck, obstructs police activity, or becomes stranded during a system-wide failure, our first responders cannot be left waiting on hold or trying to figure out how to move a vehicle they cannot operate. SB 1246 is about common-sense accountability: if AV companies are going to operate on California roads, they must be prepared to respond when something goes wrong.” SB 1246 would: - Require remote drivers to be based in the United States and hold a U.S. driver’s license; - Require AV companies to notify local jurisdictions about the location and status of vehicles during system-wide failures; - Guarantee first responders an on-site contact who can assist with AV accidents and obstructions; - Ensure AVs can be manually or remotely disabled at the request of a first responder; - Establish penalties, returned to local jurisdictions, when an AV blocks first-responder operations during an emergency for more