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States would be prevented from passing laws regulating self-driving cars, and thousands of cars without steering wheels or brake pedals could be tested anywhere in the United States under a bill advanced Wednesday by a U.S. House of Representatives panel.

The proposed legislation prohibits states and other local jurisdictions from adopting regulations related to cars’ design, construction, software or communication. States still would be allowed to regulate registration, licensing, liability, education and training, insurance or traffic laws.

Michigan had already taken steps to position itself as a haven for self-driving car testing: The state Legislature passed into law last year a measure that allows robotic cars to be operated on any Michigan road without a driver behind the wheel.

Getting ahead of rivals

The Washington, D.C.-based Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which lobbies for major automakers in Washington, said it supports efforts in Congress to greatly expand testing of robotic vehicles.

“For many years, automakers have been developing self-driving vehicle technologies that promise to transform mobility — offering greater safety, fuel savings and independence,” the group said. “So automakers want to move as quickly as possible to safely test and deploy these vehicles.”

Supporters of the measure argued Wednesday that it is imperative for the U.S. to get ahead of regulating self-driving cars before other countries put them on the road first.

“Automated vehicles are going to be developed, whether we like it or not,” panel member U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, said during Wednesday’s hearing. “The question is whether the U.S. will remain in the driver’s seat, as to China, Japan or even the EU, who are also making serious investments in this space.

“If we are serious about promoting high-tech jobs and want this next great wave of manufacturing and R&D to take place here in the United States as opposed to overseas,” she continued, “then we need to have a strong, flexible regulatory framework for highly automated vehicles that always puts safety first.”

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