US House panel looks to revive legislation on self-driving cars

By David ShepardsonWASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. lawmakers will look to jump start long-stalled legislation on the safe and regulated adoption of self-driving cars at a congressional hearing on July 26. The panel will consider separate draft legislation from Representative Bob Latta, a Republican, and Representative Debbie Dingell, a Democrat. Legislation in Congress has been stalled for more than five years over how to amend regulations to encompass self-driving cars, including the scope of consumer and legal protections. In order to ensure Americans can reap the benefits of self-driving vehicles, we must enact a comprehensive national law that establishes a pathway to safe deployment." Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would soon decide on a petition filed by General Motors' Cruise self-driving technology unit seeking permission to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without human controls.