CT SB00260

Establishes a pilot program in up to four municipalities allowing autonomous vehicle testers to operate fully autonomous vehicles (SAE Level 4-5) on public highways, with at least one municipality having 120,000-124,000 residents and one with at least 100,000 residents.

Requires operators of autonomous vehicles to be licensed, seated in the driver's seat, monitoring the vehicle, capable of taking immediate manual control, and trained by the autonomous vehicle tester on the vehicle's capabilities and limitations.

Mandates autonomous vehicle testers carry at least $5 million in liability insurance, self-insurance, or surety bonds, and register vehicles with the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

Prohibits fully autonomous vehicle testing on limited access highways and requires compliance with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards and all applicable state and municipal motor vehicle laws.

Establishes a task force to study autonomous vehicle regulation, evaluate other states' approaches, and submit interim reports by January 1, 2018 and July 1, 2018, with a final report by January 1, 2019.