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SB 1246 (Cortese) / Autonomous Vehicles / Public Right of Way / Adequate Safety Standards / 2025-2026 Legislative Program

Council File 25-0002-S98

Under review — the city council is weighing whether to back a state bill requiring safety standards for autonomous vehicles before they can operate here. A committee is set to discuss it this month.

Introduced
2026-04-14
Last changed
2026-09-15
Status
open
Expires
2028-09-15
Committee
Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee
Mover
EUNISSES HERNANDEZ
Second
IMELDA PADILLA

Brief

Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Ysabel Jurado introduced a resolution supporting SB 1246, state legislation that would mandate autonomous vehicles demonstrate adequate safety performance before deployment in public rights of way. The motion directs the city to advocate for the bill as part of the 2025-2026 state legislative program. It has received community impact statements from the Los Feliz and Westside neighborhood councils and is currently pending in the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, which scheduled it for discussion on September 15, 2026.

Full summary

This resolution expresses the Los Angeles City Council's position on SB 1246, authored by State Senator Anna Cortese, which would establish mandatory safety standards for autonomous vehicles before they are permitted to operate in California public rights of way. The underlying policy concern is that autonomous vehicle deployment has proceeded rapidly without sufficient regulatory safeguards, and the city seeks to align itself with state-level efforts to require proof of safety before widespread public use. Councilmembers Hernandez and Jurado, with a second from Imelda Padilla, introduced the resolution on April 14, 2026, framing it as part of the city's 2025-2026 state legislative advocacy agenda. The motion directs city staff to support SB 1246 and communicate that position to state lawmakers. Community input has been solicited and received from the Los Feliz and Westside neighborhood councils, both of which submitted impact statements in May 2026. As of the most recent activity on September 11, 2026, the file remains pending in the Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee. The committee scheduled the item for discussion at its meeting on September 15, 2026. The resolution does not expire until September 11, 2028, giving the Council time to act on or further deliberate the city's position on autonomous vehicle regulation.

Activity (5)

  • 2026-09-15 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2026-09-11 Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 15, 2026.
  • 2026-05-25 Community Impact Statement submitted by Los Feliz Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-05-14 Community Impact Statement submitted by Westside Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-04-14 Resolution referred to Rules, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

Documents (4)

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