Maximizing Opportunities for Research and the Enhancement of Automated Vehicles Act

Summary: Maximizing Opportunities for Research and the Enhancement of Automated Vehicles Act or the MORE Act This bill exempts manufacturers of highly automated vehicles, automated driving systems or components thereof from prohibitions on manufacturing, selling, and importing noncomplying (from safety standards) motor vehicles if they: (1) agree not to sell or lease such vehicles and systems at the end of testing or evaluation; and (2) have submitted to the Department of Transportation specified information, including identifying information and proof of insurance.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Maximizing Opportunities for 
Research and the Enhancement of Automated Vehicles Act'' or the ``MORE 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MOTOR VEHICLE TESTING OR EVALUATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 30112(b)(10) of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``that prior to the date of enactment of 
        this paragraph'';
            (2) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``motor vehicles into 
        the United States that are certified'' and inserting ``into the 
        United States motor vehicles that are certified, or motor 
        vehicle equipment utilized in a motor vehicle that is 
        certified,'';
            (3) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; or'';
            (4) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (C) as 
        clauses (i) through (iii), respectively, and moving their 
        margins 2 ems to the right;
            (5) by striking ``evaluation by a manufacturer that agrees 
        not to sell or offer for sale'' and inserting the following: 
        ``evaluation by--
                    ``(A) a manufacturer that agrees not to sell or 
                lease or offer for sale or lease''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) a manufacturer of highly automated vehicles, 
                automated driving systems, or components of automated 
                driving systems that agrees not to sell or lease or 
                offer for sale or lease the highly automated vehicle, 
                automated driving system, or components of the 
                automated driving system at the conclusion of the 
                testing or evaluation and--
                            ``(i) has submitted to the Secretary--
                                    ``(I) the name of the individual, 
                                partnership, corporation, or 
                                institution of higher education and a 
                                point of contact;
                                    ``(II) the residence address of the 
                                individual, partnership, corporation, 
                                or institution of higher education and 
                                State of incorporation if applicable;
                                    ``(III) a description of each type 
                                of motor vehicle used during 
                                development of highly automated 
                                vehicles, automated driving systems, or 
                                components of automated driving systems 
                                manufactured by the individual, 
                                partnership, corporation, or 
                                institution of higher education; and
                                    ``(IV) proof of insurance for any 
                                State in which the individual, 
                                partnership, corporation, or 
                                institution of higher education intends 
                                to test or evaluate highly automated 
                                vehicles; and
                            ``(ii) if applicable, has identified an 
                        agent for service of process in accordance with 
                        part 551 of title 49, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations.''.
    (b) Definitions.--Section 30102 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (13) as 
                paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (8), (9), (10), (11), 
                (12), (13), (15), (16), and (17), respectively;
                    (B) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(1) `automated driving system' means the hardware and 
        software that are collectively capable of performing the entire 
        dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of 
        whether such system is limited to a specific operational design 
        domain.'';
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (5) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(6) `dynamic driving task' means all of the real time 
        operational and tactical functions required to operate a 
        vehicle in on-road traffic, excluding the strategic functions 
        such as trip scheduling and selection of destinations and 
        waypoints, and including--
                    ``(A) lateral vehicle motion control via steering;
                    ``(B) longitudinal vehicle motion control via 
                acceleration and deceleration;
                    ``(C) monitoring the driving environment via object 
                and event detection, recognition, classification, and 
                response preparation;
                    ``(D) object and event response execution;
                    ``(E) maneuver planning; and
                    ``(F) enhancing conspicuity via lighting, 
                signaling, and gesturing.
            ``(7) `highly automated vehicle'--
                    ``(A) means a motor vehicle equipped with an 
                automated driving system; and
                    ``(B) does not include a commercial motor vehicle 
                (as defined in section 31101).''; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (13) (as so 
                redesignated) the following:
            ``(14) `operational design domain' means the specific 
        conditions under which a given driving automation system or 
        feature thereof is designed to function.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Revisions to Certain Definitions.--
            ``(1) If SAE International (or its successor organization) 
        revises the definition of any of the terms defined in paragraph 
        (1), (6), or (14) of subsection (a) in Recommended Practice 
        Report J3016, it shall notify the Secretary of the revision. 
        The Secretary shall publish a notice in the Federal Register to 
        inform the public of the new definition unless, within 90 days 
        after receiving notice of the new definition and after opening 
        a period for public comment on the new definition, the 
        Secretary notifies SAE International (or its successor 
        organization) that the Secretary has determined that the new 
        definition does not meet the need for motor vehicle safety, or 
        is otherwise inconsistent with the purposes of this chapter. If 
        the Secretary so notifies SAE International (or its successor 
        organization), the existing definition in subsection (a) shall 
        remain in effect.
            ``(2) If the Secretary does not reject a definition revised 
        by SAE International (or its successor organization) as 
        described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall promptly make 
        any conforming amendments to the regulations and standards of 
        the Secretary that are necessary. The revised definition shall 
        apply for purposes of this chapter. The requirements of section 
        553 of title 5 shall not apply to the making of any such 
        conforming amendments.
            ``(3) Pursuant to section 553 of title 5, the Secretary may 
        update any of the definitions in paragraph (1), (6), or (14) of 
        subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that materially 
        changed circumstances regarding highly automated vehicles have 
        impacted motor vehicle safety such that the definitions need to 
        be updated to reflect such circumstances.''.