SF 4014

1st Engrossment - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/24/2026 10:45 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; requiring a natural person to be present when a
commercial motor vehicle is operated by an automated driving system; establishing
criminal penalties; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.011, by adding
subdivisions; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 169.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.011, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 3b. new text end

new text begin Automated driving system. new text end

new text begin "Automated driving system" means hardware
and software that are collectively capable of performing all aspects of the dynamic driving
task for a vehicle on a part-time or full-time basis, described as levels 4 and 5 automation
in SAE International standard J3016, as revised in April 2021.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 169.011, is amended by adding a subdivision to
read:

new text begin Subd. 24a. new text end

new text begin Dynamic driving task. new text end

new text begin (a) "Dynamic driving task" means all of the following
aspects of driving:
new text end

new text begin (1) operational aspects, including steering, braking, accelerating, and monitoring the
vehicle and the roadway; and
new text end

new text begin (2) tactical aspects, including responding to events, determining when to change lanes,
turning, using signals, and other related actions.
new text end

new text begin (b) Dynamic driving task does not include strategic aspects, including determining
destinations or way points of driving.
new text end

Sec. 3.

new text begin [169.763] AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTEMS IN COMMERCIAL MOTOR
VEHICLES.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definition. new text end

new text begin For the purposes of this section, "commercial motor vehicle"
has the meaning provided in Code of Federal Regulations, title 49, section 390.5.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Restrictions. new text end

new text begin (a) A person must not use an automated driving system to perform
the dynamic driving task in a commercial motor vehicle unless a natural person who is
properly licensed to operate the vehicle:
new text end

new text begin (1) is physically present in the commercial motor vehicle;
new text end

new text begin (2) is seated in the driver's seat of the commercial motor vehicle;
new text end

new text begin (3) monitors the performance of the commercial motor vehicle while driving on the
roadway; and
new text end

new text begin (4) intervenes, if necessary, to avoid illegal or unsafe driving of the commercial motor
vehicle.
new text end

new text begin (b) The owner or lessor of a commercial motor vehicle operated in violation of this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor for the first offense and a gross misdemeanor for any
subsequent offense committed by the same owner or lessor regardless of whether the offense
is committed with a different commercial motor vehicle owned or leased by the same person.
The penalty for the second conviction for violating this section is $2,000, and the penalty
doubles for each subsequent conviction.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Expiration. new text end

new text begin This section expires July 1, 2033.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end