HR 563

                                               PRINTER'S NO.    3587
             THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
      HOUSE RESOLUTION
         No. 563
                                         Session of
                                           2026
INTRODUCED BY WAXMAN, FREEMAN, CARROLL, HILL-EVANS, GALLAGHER,
   PASHINSKI, D. WILLIAMS, SANCHEZ, CIRESI AND CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
   JUNE 10, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
   JUNE 10, 2026
                          A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a
2    study and issue a report on the impact driverless vehicles
3    have on safety and the workforce.
4    WHEREAS, In the near future, autonomous vehicles could
5 partially or entirely replace human drivers by utilizing
6 technology; and
7    WHEREAS, There are five levels of autonomous vehicles, with
8 Level 2 providing support for both speed and steering and Levels
9 3, 4 and 5 allowing the vehicle to take over safety-critical
10 functions from the human driver; and
11    WHEREAS, The ability of driverless vehicles is improving with
12 the use of artificial intelligence (AI); and
13    WHEREAS, AI is being used in driverless vehicles to improve
14 safety and accuracy and mimic human abilities; and
15    WHEREAS, With 94% of traffic fatalities attributed to humans,
16 driverless vehicles have the potential to improve safety; and
17    WHEREAS, A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
1 general order requires certain entities to report if a Level 2
2 automated driving system was in use at the time of a crash and
3 immediately prior to the crash if the crash resulted in property
4 damage and injury; and
5WHEREAS, A power outage in San Francisco, California, on
6 December 20, 2025, resulted in many driverless taxis stopping in
7 and blocking roads and intersections; and
8WHEREAS, A system malfunction led more than 100 driverless
9 taxis to stop in Wuhan, China, on April 1, 2026, leaving
10 passengers stranded; and
11WHEREAS, In 2025, the United States Department of
12 Transportation unveiled automated vehicle framework to allow for
13 the further growth of automated vehicles; and
14WHEREAS, As of 2025, there are more than 1,500 driverless
15 taxis on the road in the United States, with an estimated 35,000
16 expected to be on the road by 2030; and
17WHEREAS, Driverless freight trucks are currently being tested
18 for use on roads in the United States; and
19WHEREAS, There is a shortage of truck drivers and a high
20 turnover rate of truck drivers, which helps incentivize the
21 development of driverless freight trucks; and
22WHEREAS, Driverless vehicles have the potential to disrupt
23 employment in the transport industry; and
24WHEREAS, In 2024, 66% of drivers in the United States feared
25 driverless vehicles, and 25% of drivers in the United States
26 felt uncertain about driverless vehicles; and
27WHEREAS, There are at least 23 states, including
28 Pennsylvania, that regulate personal delivery devices (PDDs);
29 and
30WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has regulated PDDs since 2020; and
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1    WHEREAS, Pennsylvania allows PDDs that weigh 550 pounds or
2 less without cargo with a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour to
3 operate in a pedestrian area and with a maximum speed of 25
4 miles per hour to operate on the shoulder or roadway; and
5    WHEREAS, Pennsylvania considers PDDs to be pedestrians; and
6    WHEREAS, PDDs must yield to human pedestrians and bicyclists
7 in a pedestrian area; and
8    WHEREAS, There are four authorized entities operating PDDs in
9 Pennsylvania; and
10    WHEREAS, PDDs had to be removed from testing on the campus of
11 the University of Pittsburgh in 2019 because a PDD blocked a
12 curb cut, making it difficult for a wheelchair user to access
13 the sidewalk; and
14    WHEREAS, A delivery robot ran into a human pedestrian in
15 Philadelphia due to a possible malfunction; therefore be it
16    RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
17 State Government Commission to conduct a study and issue a
18 report on the impact that driverless vehicles have on safety and
19 the workforce; and be it further
20    RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission study
21 the:
22(1)   safety concerns of driverless vehicles and PDDs,
23    including safety risks and safety benefits to the general
24    public;
25(2)   potential job loss to Pennsylvania workers in the
26    taxi industry, the ride-share industry, the food delivery
27    industry and the freight industry if driverless vehicles and
28    PDDs replace human workers;
29(3)   infrastructure needs, including upgrades to the
30    electrical grid, expansion of transportation networks, making
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1    highways safe for autonomous vehicles and other potential
2    costs to the Commonwealth and municipalities if driverless
3    vehicles are more widely adopted;
4(4)     impact of the use of driverless vehicles and PDDs in
5    certain areas, including school zones, hospitals, police
6    stations, fire stations, crime scenes, train stations and
7    airports;
8(5)     potential for access to driverless vehicles in
9    underserved areas;
10(6)     impact of driverless vehicle technology, safety and
11    recognition across diverse demographic groups; and
12(7)     impact of driverless vehicles on physical assistance
13    typically provided by human drivers to assist older riders
14    and disabled riders in entering and exiting a vehicle;
15 and be it further
16    RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission issue a
17 report with its findings to the Senate and the House of
18 Representatives no later than one year after the adoption of
19 this resolution; and be it further
20    RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission submit
21 the report to the following:
22(1)     The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
23    Communications and Technology Committee of the Senate.
24(2)     The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
25    Communications and Technology Committee of the House of
26    Representatives.
27(3)     The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
28    Labor and Industry Committee of the Senate.
29(4)     The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
30    Labor and Industry Committee of the House of Representatives.
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1(5)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
2   Transportation Committee of the Senate.
3(6)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
4   Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives.
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