On July 19, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protections approved a bill aiming to advance the testing and deployment of highly automated vehicles.

The subcommittee approved the bill by voice vote, after considering several amendments.

Although some members voiced concern about the withdrawn amendments, which were about access to rural areas, cybersecurity and privacy, subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio, said there would be an opportunity to address these issues in the full committee.

The consensus was bipartisan agreement and a commitment to keep safety as the primary objective of any automated-vehicle legislation.

The bill is slated for a full committee markup next week.