December 17, 2025
Mr. Markey (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
To amend title 49, United States Code, with respect to the safety of driving automation systems, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Stay in Your Lane Act
.
Sec. 2. Operational design domain restriction for driving systems
(a) Safe domains for driving automation systems
(1) In general
Subchapter II of chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
30130. Safe domains for driving automation systems
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Administrator
The term Administrator means the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(2) Driving automation system
The term driving automation system means the hardware and software that are collectively capable of simultaneously performing all of the lateral and longitudinal vehicle motor control subtasks of the dynamic driving task of a motor vehicle on a sustained basis.
(3) Operational design domain
The term operational design domain means operating conditions, as defined by the manufacturer, under which a driving automation system, or feature thereof, is specifically designed to function safely, including—
(A)
environmental, geographical, and time-of-day restrictions; and
(B)
the requisite presence or absence of certain traffic, road users, or roadway characteristics.
(4) Safely
The term safely, with respect to motor vehicle safety, means presenting no more than an inconsequential risk.
(b) Operational design domain
Each manufacturer of a driving automation system shall ensure that the driving automation system does not operate outside of its operational design domain.
(c) Declarations
(1) In general
Each manufacturer of a driving automation system shall—
(A)
define the operational design domain as the conditions under which the driving automation system, or feature thereof, is designed to function safely; and
(B)
submit to the Administrator a declaration of that definition.
(2) Publication
Each manufacturer of a driving automation system shall make the declaration submitted by the manufacturer under paragraph (1)(B) available on a publicly accessible website of the manufacturer, which shall be the exact declaration submitted to the Administrator under that paragraph.
(2) Clerical amendment
The analysis for subchapter II of chapter 301 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 30129 the following:
(b) Civil penalties
Section 30165(a)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended, in the first sentence, by inserting 30130(b),
after 30127,
.
(c) Limited definition of motor vehicle safety standard
Section 30102(b) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (1)—
(A)
by redesignating subparagraphs (C) through (H) as subparagraphs (D) through (I), respectively; and
(B)
by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
(C)
motor vehicle safety standard includes a requirement described in subsections (b) and (c)(1) of section 30130;; and
(2)
in paragraph (2), by striking paragraph (1)(C), (D), (F), or (G) of this subsection
and inserting subparagraph (D), (E), (G), or (H) of paragraph (1)
.
(d) Effective date
This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.