Bill would require onboard drivers for heavy automated commercial vehicles

Operators would need a properly licensed commercial driver in the cab while an automated system drives a covered vehicle. The requirement would cover commercial vehicles on highways with a manufacturer-rated vehicle or combined weight of at least 26,001 pounds. The driver would need any required license endorsements, monitor the vehicle, and be ready to intervene when needed to prevent illegal or unsafe driving. The driver would have to sit in the driver’s seat when the vehicle carries hazardous materials. Light-duty vehicles and trucks with crash cushions used to protect highway work crews would be exempt. The driver requirement would end September 1, 2031.

People who violate the driver rules would face traffic fines and a surcharge. The penalties would apply to violations of the human-driver rules for covered automated commercial vehicles. The fine would be $1,000 for a first conviction and $2,000 for a second conviction. The fine would double for each conviction after the second, and every conviction would carry a $150 surcharge. If enacted, the penalties would apply to offenses committed on or after the act’s effective date. The section containing these rules would expire September 1, 2031.

The Colorado State Patrol chief would study the rules’ effects on commercial vehicle safety and report to legislative transportation committees. The review would examine commercial vehicle safety on highways. The report would recommend whether to continue the rules. If the chief recommended continuing them, the report would include any recommended legislation to improve them. The chief would issue the report by November 1, 2030.

The bill would set aside $14,357 for the Colorado Department of Revenue to carry out the rules. The department could use the money for its vehicle services computer system, staff work, and payments to OIT. The money would come from the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account within the highway users tax fund. The funding would be for the 2026–27 state budget year.