[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1173-E1174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 6, 2017

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3354) making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
     environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2018, and for other purposes:

  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of an amendment I've 
offered to provide the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 
(NHTSA) an additional $9 million. The purpose of this amendment is to 
enable the agency to focus on connected and automated vehicles by 
expanding its workforce to validate the safety of these transformative 
vehicles, defining new testing protocols as the technology advances, 
and to better collaborate with industry, and state and local 
governments to conduct adequate oversight of their deployment on our 
roads.
  Connected and automated vehicles are a rapidly emerging technology 
with the potential to improve safety and mobility, decrease congestion, 
and increase the overall efficiency of our nation's transportation 
network. But along with this progress comes a number of pressing policy 
challenges. The federal government can, and must, play a role in 
maximizing the societal benefits of these technologies.
  In a time when the technology that enables automated vehicles is 
rapidly advancing, I firmly believe that we must continue to promote 
U.S. leadership in this industry, with the goal of full deployment of 
automated vehicles on our roads and highways. Policies that balance 
consumer protection while facilitating innovation will ultimately 
benefit our manufacturing and transportation industries and their 
workers.
  As Co-Chair of the Unmanned Systems Caucus, I have been holding 
periodic roundtables around the country on connected and autonomous 
transportation policy for the past two years. I have listened to 
experts from O.E.M.s, tier 1 suppliers, infoimation technology 
companies, transportation planners, and tech start-ups.
  Part of this interest is from my background as an engineer, and my 
work as the Ranking Member of the House Science Committee's Research 
Subcommittee. Last Congress, I introduced the Future TRIP Act to 
promote automated vehicle research. Key provisions of that bill passed 
into law in the FAST Act.
  NHTSA has done an admirable job of working with the industry in 
developing policy guidance while allowing enough flexibility to promote 
innovation for an industry that is constantly evolving. It is exactly 
this kind of consensus-based incremental change that will

[[Page E1174]]

their safety on the road. NHTSA needs the ability to review and process 
vehicle exemptions, conduct testing, and review safety standards.
  Earlier today, we passed H.R. 3388, the SELF DRIVE Act, which 
expanded NHTSA's authorities in this area. That bill is an important 
step toward defining the federal government's role in regulating 
automated vehicles. The bill supports the testing and deployment of 
automated vehicles through the waiver process, preempts a patchwork of 
differing state and local regulations to provide certainty to industry 
and vehicle operators, and ensures consumer confidence by improving 
safety standards.
  My amendment provides the initial financial resources needed to carry 
out the directives authorized in the SELF DRIVE Act, and subsequently 
appropriates the resources to give NHTSA the ability to examine these 
ongoing challenges.
  I appreciate the support of Chairman Diaz-Balart, and I urge my 
colleagues to support this amendment.

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