# 2024-30854: ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program

2024-30854, ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program, is a Federal Register proposed rule from an unnamed agency published 2025-01-15, effective Comments are requested on or before March 17, 2025. (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-30854
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2024-30854
- Title: ADS-Equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: unknown
- Citation: unknown
- Published: 2025-01-15
- Effective: Comments are requested on or before March 17, 2025.
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## Summary

The government is proposing a new program to keep an eye on cars with automated driving systems (ADS) to make sure they’re safe and transparent. Car makers can join voluntarily by sharing safety info and reports, helping everyone understand how these smart cars work on public roads. Comments on the plan are open until March 17, 2025, so the program can start shaping the future of driving safely and smartly.

## Abstract

This document proposes a voluntary framework for the evaluation and oversight of motor vehicles equipped with automated driving systems (ADS). The ADS-equipped Vehicle Safety, Transparency, and Evaluation Program (AV STEP) would establish a national program for ADS-equipped vehicles that operate or may operate on public roads in the United States under NHTSA's oversight with the goal of improving public transparency related to the safety of certain ADS-equipped vehicles, while allowing for responsible development of this technology. This proposal includes procedures for application, participation, public reporting, and program administration. It identifies content requirements for applications, including independent assessments of ADS safety processes, such as the safety cases used and conformance to industry standards. These application requirements will inform NHTSA's decisions on terms and conditions for participation. The proposal also contains reporting requirements for participants, including periodic and event-triggered reporting.

## Effects PRIA read

- Agency will publish ADS participant data: benefit, low. NHTSA proposes to publish a list of AV STEP applicants and participants and details about the scope and status of each operation on the agency website. This will make more information about where ADS-equipped vehicles operate and how they perform available to the public.
- New AV STEP exemption pathway: benefit, medium. AV STEP would offer a tailored, voluntary pathway for ADS-equipped vehicles to seek exemptions under 49 U.S.C. 30114(a) and 49 U.S.C. 30122(c). If you are a vehicle manufacturer, ADS developer, fleet operator, or system integrator seeking an ADS-related FMVSS exemption, you could use this program i…
- Mandatory reporting and independent assessments: cost, medium. Applicants accepted into AV STEP would have to provide an independent assessment of their ADS safety case and submit periodic and event-triggered reports to NHTSA while participating. The program proposes that much of the application and reporting information would be published.
- Two participation levels with different rules: mixed, medium. AV STEP would have two levels of participation: Step 1 for vehicles that rely on specially trained fallback personnel and Step 2 for vehicles that do not rely on fallback personnel. The proposed participation and reporting requirements differ between these two steps.

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## Sources
- [2024-30854 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/15/2024-30854/ads-equipped-vehicle-safety-transparency-and-evaluation-program)
- [2024-30854 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-15/pdf/2024-30854.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2024-30437, Federal Acquisition Regulation: Controlled Unclassified Information](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-30437)
- [Next: 2024-31206, Protection of Federal Property](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31206)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-30854 (as of 2026-06-11).