AV Industry Applauds Colorado Governor Jared Polis for Vetoing Autonomous Truck Ban

Washington – The Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA) today released the following statement from CEO Jeff Farrah applauding Governor Jared Polis for vetoing HB26-1286, legislation that would have made Colorado the first state in the nation to ban autonomous trucks:

"Governor Polis made the right call for Colorado again, and the autonomous vehicle industry commends his strong leadership. For nearly a decade, Colorado has had in place a strong autonomous vehicle law, and HB26-1286 would have upended this law with no safety justification. This veto ensures that autonomous vehicles can safely operate in Colorado and the state will continue to be a national leader on innovation, safety, and economic development."

HB26-1286 would have required a human driver in autonomous commercial motor vehicles, deviating from the approach taken by the overwhelming majority of states. More than 50 similar bills introduced across the country have been rejected by lawmakers, including twice by California Governor Gavin Newsom and once previously in Colorado.

Colorado enacted its AV testing framework nearly a decade ago, establishing a robust state agency review process that has supported safe deployment. AVIA, along with the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and other safety stakeholders, opposed HB26-1286 as an unnecessary restriction unsupported by the safety record of autonomous vehicles operating in the state.