Congress has prioritized self-driving vehicle legislation. With broad support from heavy hitters from Silicon Valley and Detroit, a final bill could be ready for the President’s signature within a matter of months. The resulting law and the regulations promulgated as a result will surely impact the IoT industry in a big way.  IoT components will be an important part of the safety, cybersecurity, and privacy aspects of self-driving car legislation, as illustrated by the “SELF-DRIVE Act” that was recently passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives.

IoT Attorney Ronald E. Quirk, Jr., has published an article in IoT Journal that delineates key provisions of the SELF-DRIVE Act, and what they mean for IoT equipment suppliers and auto manufacturers now and in the near future. While IoT component manufacturers should do quite well under the SELF-DRIVE Act, self-driving auto manufacturers will be subject to many new regulations. IoT components used in self-driving cars will also likely be subject to new standards. Nonetheless, there is much in the bill that will help make the U.S. a prime market for self-driving cars, as well as an important industry location for them.

Marashlian & Donahue is keeping a close watch on all developments involving self-driving vehicle legal matters and will be providing updates to interested parties on a regular basis.

For further information concerning the self-driving car legislation and related matters, please contact Marashlian & Donahue PLLC’s Managing Partner Jonathan S. Marashlian at (703) 714-1313, jsm@commlawgroup.com; or IoT attorney Ronald E. Quirk, Jr. at (703) 714-1305, req@commlawgroup.com.