SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 4702

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  NOVEMBER 10, 2025

      The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 4702.

      As amended and reported, this bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission), in consultation with the Department of Transportation (department), to establish a three-year pilot program to allow autonomous vehicle testers (testers) to operate fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the State. 

     As amended, the bill requires the pilot program to be overseen by a task force made up of seven members composed of a public safety official, a transportation expert, an AV developer, an automobile insurance industry representative, a consumer advocate, and two representatives of the commission.  The task force members are to be appointed by the commission, in consultation with the department.  The bill establishes certain responsibilities for the task force, as outlined in the bill.

     Under the bill, testers are not permitted to operate AVs in the State unless certain conditions are met, as outlined in the bill.  Additionally, the Chief Administrator of the commission (chief administrator) is permitted to immediately prohibit an operator or tester from operating an AV if the chief administrator determines that such operation poses a risk to public safety or that the operator or AV tester fails to comply with the provisions of the bill.

     The bill requires a tester participating in the pilot program to provide the chief administrator with certain information appropriate for measuring the performance of the pilot program, but is permitted to withhold commercially valuable, confidential, or proprietary information.  The bill further provides that an AV that is operated as part of the pilot program is required to be equipped with certain features and capabilities, as outlined in the bill.

     Under the bill, all AV collisions are to be reported to the department within 48 hours.  Additionally, the bill requires the department to establish new AV testing environments and to utilize existing AV testing environments.  The department is required to identify funding sources to invest in and to coordinate with counties and municipalities to deploy smart infrastructure for AVs.

     In addition, the bill establishes certain capability requirements for AVs operating as taxis and certain operating requirements for AVs operating as commercial trucks.  The bill further provides that a truck that employs synchronized braking and acceleration and that follows the lead vehicle may operate as a fully autonomous vehicle without a human driver.

     Finally, the bill requires the commission to submit to the Governor and to the Legislature a report that evaluates the pilot program and includes recommendations for the safe integration of AVs on State highways no later than six months after completion of the three-year pilot program.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to: 

      (1)  revise the composition of the task force to:  

      (a)  increase the number of task force members from five to seven;

      (b)  remove the requirement that an AV industry representative be appointed to the task force; and

      (c)  require two representatives of the commission to be appointed to the task force;

      (2)  clarify that each task force member is to be appointed by the commission, in consultation with the department; and

      (3)  make technical corrections.