AV Accessibility Act

The AV Accessibility Act (H.R. 4419) aims to ensure nondiscrimination in licensing for autonomous, driverless vehicles and to advance accessibility with respect to ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicles. Specifically, it prohibits a state from issuing a motor vehicle operator’s license for operating or using an ADS-equipped vehicle at SAE Level 4 or Level 5 in a way that discriminates on the basis of disability, aligning with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II framework. In addition, the bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to partner with the National Academies to study how public transportation infrastructure can be modified to improve access to ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicles for people with disabilities, including during pickup and drop-off, and to explore non-visual accessibility and curb-management solutions. A future funding allocation of $5 million is authorized to support this study. Key definitions pull from SAE J3016 (as interpreted by the bill), clarifying terms like ADS-equipped vehicle, Level 4/5, driverless operation, and ride-hail ADS-equipped vehicle. The act creates an explicit federal-backed pathway to prohibit discriminatory licensing while directing research that could inform infrastructure and service design to better serve people with disabilities.