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On March 25, 2025, U.S. Representative Kevin Mullin, a Democrat from San Mateo, introduced the AV Emergency Response Coordination Act in Congress. The bill aims to create federal standards that prevent self-driving vehicles—especially robotaxis—from blocking or interfering with emergency personnel during fires, medical calls, and police operations.
The proposal comes after a string of incidents in the Bay Area and beyond where autonomous vehicles disrupted emergency response. In San Francisco on July 4, dozens of Waymo robotaxis froze in heavy traffic, creating a standstill that delayed fire trucks. Other cases include self-driving cars rolling through active crime scene tape and blocking ambulance bays at hospitals.
Mullin said the patchwork of local rules is no longer enough as robotaxis expand into more cities. “We need one consistent playbook so that whether a Waymo is in San Francisco or Phoenix, first responders know exactly what to do—and these companies know what’s expected,” he said in a statement.
The legislation spells out three main requirements. First, each autonomous vehicle company must submit a standardized emergency response protocol to the Department of Transportation, covering how vehicles should react when sirens, flares, or police lights are detected. Second, companies must operate a 24-hour, toll-free hotline that emergency dispatchers can call to remotely disable or redirect vehicles in real time. Third, the bill mandates “digital geofencing” technology that allows local authorities to cordon off active emergency zones and prevent self-driving cars from entering.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie praised the bill for giving local governments clear authority to shut down robotaxi access during unexpected disruptions. “When a water main bursts or a suspicious package is found, we need to be able to flip a digital switch and keep autonomous vehicles out—not wait for a corporate response,” Lurie said in a joint press conference with Mullin.
Fire Chief Dean Crispen of San Francisco added that many of the proposed measures are already being tested locally on a voluntary basis. “But voluntary isn’t enough when lives are on the line,” he said. “This bill makes good practices the law.”
Waymo, the dominant robotaxi operator in San Francisco, issued a statement supporting the bill. “Minimum federal guidelines give the entire industry a clear bar to meet and give public safety agencies the certainty they need,” the company said. Waymo noted it already provides a dedicated officer hotline and can geofence areas on request, but acknowledged that competitors like Zoox and Cruise lack consistent protocols.
As a value-add in this rewriting effort, new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reveals that since 2020, autonomous vehicle companies have reported at least 1,470 incidents where a self-driving car impeded an emergency first responder—though under current rules these reports are voluntary and uneven. The AV Emergency Response Coordination Act would make such reporting mandatory and standardized.
This bill follows a separate measure Mullin introduced last year that would require robotaxi makers to submit annual safety reports including breakdowns of hard-braking events, unexpected stops, and interactions with emergency vehicles. That bill is pending in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
The timing of the new bill is notable as Zoox, a Foster City-based autonomous vehicle company, prepares to launch public robotaxi service in the coming months. Supporters of the legislation warn that without federal guardrails, the influx of multiple fleets could overwhelm local emergency responders.
Industry analysts say the bill stands a strong chance of winning bipartisan support, given that both red and blue cities have experienced robotaxi-related emergency disruptions. The House subcommittee on transportation is expected to hold hearings in April. Mullin said he hopes to fold the bill into a larger transportation reauthorization package later this year.
