To establish in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a Rural and Mountainous Advisory Council to make recommendations regarding the testing and deployment of highly automated vehicles and automated driving systems in areas that are rural, remote, mountainous, insular, or unmapped.

This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a Rural and Mountainous Advisory Council. The council shall undertake information gathering activities, develop technical advice, and present best practices or recommendations to DOT regarding the testing and deployment of highly automated vehicles and automated driving systems in rural, remote, mountainous, insular, or unmapped areas to evaluate operational limitations caused by natural geographical or man-made features or adverse weather conditions and to enhance the safety and reliability of such vehicles and systems in such areas or conditions. A "highly automated vehicle" is defined as a motor vehicle (excluding a commercial motor vehicle) equipped with an automated driving system. An "automated driving system" is defined as the hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether such system is limited to a specific operational design domain.