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Congress·In Committee·25 days ago

House Committee Reviews Bill to Expand Self-Driving Car Testing to 90,000 Vehicles

Also known as: Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
House
Senate
President

Impact Analysis

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

State Impacts

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Key Points

  • This bill creates a new office within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to manage the "star" safety ratings you see on new cars. It requires the agency to create a clear three-year plan for new safety rules so the public and car companies know what changes are coming.
  • It updates how the government handles self-driving cars by defining different levels of automation. It also allows car companies to put up to 90,000 experimental vehicles on the road for testing—a huge jump from the current limit of 2,500—to help speed up the development of new safety tech.
  • The plan modernizes how you find out about car recalls. Instead of just getting a letter in the mail, car companies could notify you via email or other electronic ways, which could help fix dangerous car defects faster.
  • The government would be required to review all existing car safety rules every four years. They will look for rules that are outdated or too expensive and decide if they should be changed or removed, as long as it doesn't make cars less safe.
  • New studies would look into making cars more accessible for people in wheelchairs and how to help firefighters safely rescue people from electric vehicle crashes. It also starts a group to teach the public the difference between "driver assist" features and actual self-driving cars.
Infrastructure TransportationTechnology Digital

Milestones

3 milestones5 actions
Feb 10, 2026House

Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Feb 10, 2026House

Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Feb 5, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Feb 5, 2026

Introduced in House

Feb 5, 2026House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

NHTSA must establish an advisory committee on car safety ratings and a working group on consumer education about self-driving cars

These groups will start shaping how car safety information is presented to buyers and how the public learns about automated driving technology

Related News

1 article
InsideEVs·about 2 months ago

Congress Could Pave The Way For Tesla's Robotaxi Dreams

Lawmakers are considering the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act, which would raise the annual cap on experimental vehicle exemptions from 2,500 to 90,000. This change is seen as a critical step for the deployment of steering-wheel-less vehicles like Tesla's Cybercab.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 7389
Congress119th Congress
ChamberHouse of Representatives
Latest ActionForwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Sponsor

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.