[Ohio-talk] Fwd: Self-Driving Cars Shift into Gear on Capitol Hill: AFB Urges Senate Action to Overtake House Legislative Lemon

Wed Sep 6 18:43:17 UTC 2017

I thought I would share this. I believe it is very important that we get
involved in this legislation so we will be able to use driverless vehicles
in the future. I have dreamed of this day most of my adult life. I may not
be able to take advantage of the future of driverless vehicles but I want
others to have this wonderful opportunity.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: AFB DirectConnect <mrichert at afb.net>
Date: Wed, Sep 6, 2017 at 2:35 PM
Subject: Self-Driving Cars Shift into Gear on Capitol Hill: AFB Urges
Senate Action to Overtake House Legislative Lemon
To: marianne at denningweb.com

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Self-Driving Cars Shift into Gear on Capitol Hill:
AFB Urges Prompt Senate Action to Overtake House Passage of Legislative
Lemon

Read this edition of the *DirectConnect* newsletter online at the following
link:
http://www.afb.org/info/programs-and-services/public-
policy-center/directconnect-newsletter/self-driving-cars-
shift-into-gear-on-capitol-hill/1235
<http://afb.us11.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=bd3c8fefc9f905f5ccf41c577&id=8644604851&e=5035e97d45>

For further information, contact:

Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy, AFB
(202) 469-6833
MRichert at afb.net

September 6, 2017, 12:30pm ET

Moments ago by voice vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.
3388, the so-called SELF DRIVE Act, legislation intended to spur innovation
in the autonomous vehicle industry through an extensive array of incentives
and loosening of federal safety standards.

However, in the lead up to today's overwhelming bipartisan support for H.R.
3388, key members and staff in both major political parties managing the
bill rejected calls from the disability community to include critical
provisions in the bill to ensure that people with disabilities, including
people who are blind, visually impaired or deafblind, will not face
needless technological or state policy barriers to their ultimate full
enjoyment of autonomous vehicles.

This morning, AFB wrote to the membership of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation urging continued work and prompt
action on a more responsive and inclusive version of autonomous vehicle
legislation currently in draft form. Advocates are concerned that House
passage of H.R. 3388 may invite Senators to conclude that work on the key
components of such legislation is largely complete.

The text of AFB's Senate Commerce Committee letter follows:
------------------------------

September 6, 2017

The Honorable John Thune
Chairman
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Bill Nelson
Ranking Member
U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
716 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Re: Support for Senate Commerce Committee autonomous vehicle legislation;
insufficiency of H.R. 3388.

Dear Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson:

On behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the more than
23 million adult Americans living with vision loss for whom, following
Helen Keller's legacy, we advocate for a world with no limits, I write to
urge your continued leadership in refining and speedily acting upon
autonomous vehicle legislation which truly meets the needs, and
acknowledges the capabilities, of people with disabilities, including
people who are blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. It has been our
privilege to work closely with your staff this year to develop draft
bipartisan legislation which we believe meets these critical criteria, and
we urge the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation to
complete this work and act promptly and favorably on the bill.

In a world with no limits, people with vision loss will be able to benefit
from the independence, employment opportunity, self-determination, social
participation and mobility that so-called driverless cars have to offer.
However, this will only happen if we act now to clear the public policy
roadway of readily removable technological obstructions and the debris of
disability stereotypes and misconceptions that are currently in the way.
The legislation that we have been working with your staff to develop will,
we believe, address these most critical policy challenges in the autonomous
vehicle space for people with disabilities.

In order to have meaningful access to autonomous vehicles, people with
disabilities must be able to enter, maneuver within, and exit vehicles, and
they must be able to properly interact with vehicles'
user interface and related features. Additionally, in carrying out their
traditional role to set the minimum requirements for and limits on driver
licensure, states must do their part to exercise such authority untainted
by paternalism or outmoded stereotypes and in a manner that ensures full
and equal protection of the constitutional right of all people with
disabilities to travel. Thanks to the leadership which you and your staff
have been demonstrating in the development of your autonomous vehicle
legislation, these matters are on the right road toward the deliberation
and consensus building upon which sound public policy making depends.

While, as of this writing, the House is expected to take immediate action
on its approach to autonomous vehicle legislation (H.R. 3388), we
nevertheless urge you to press ahead with the development and consideration
of a measure that more appropriately responds to the disability community
and that clearly tackles the most significant policy barriers. Unlike the
approach which you and your staff have been developing, H.R. 3388 makes
mere cursory reference to disability-related concerns and provides little
incentive for support from our community given its hesitance to address the
most critical issues through a well-defined, outcomes oriented process. It
is also particularly disappointing, and a bit disturbing, to see some
leading proponents of H.R. 3388 playing heartstrings and emotionally
exploiting the bill's alleged tremendous promise for people with
disabilities while H.R. 3388's disability-related provisions, such as they
are, remain so vacuous. What an incredible missed opportunity that has left
people with disabilities hitch hiking for a legislative vehicle heading in
the right direction.

Again, thank you for your much-needed leadership, and we continue to stand
ready to be of assistance to you and your staff to put well-crafted public
policy before the Senate that both accelerates industry innovation and
turbocharges the independence of people with disabilities.

Sincerely,

Mark Richert, Esq.
Director, Public Policy
American Foundation for the Blind
(202) 469-6833
MRichert at AFB.net

cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053