California’s State Assembly has approved Assembly Bill 33 (AB33), a measure that would require a trained human operator to be present in autonomous vehicles used for commercial delivery to homes or businesses. The bill now moves to the State Senate for further consideration.
AB33, supported by the Teamsters union, is aimed at regulating the deployment of autonomous delivery vehicles. Proponents argue the measure is necessary to protect middle-class jobs and address safety concerns associated with fully driverless technology.
“State lawmakers have an obligation to support workers and middle-class jobs, and that’s exactly what this legislation does,” said Peter Finn, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7. He described California as a key battleground in the broader national debate over the impact of automation on employment.
The bill’s advancement comes amid renewed scrutiny of autonomous vehicle safety. Waymo and Zoox both issued recalls in recent weeks following safety incidents, while Aurora Innovation reinstated human safety operators in its trucks after a brief trial period without them.
Chris Griswold, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42, said the union remains concerned about the reliability of current automated driving systems. “We’ve seen enough of what automated driving actually looks like — it is dangerous, disastrous, and vastly inferior to a highly trained human operator,” Griswold said.
The Teamsters are urging the California Senate to pass AB33, which they say will ensure a more cautious approach to the integration of autonomous vehicles in commercial applications while preserving existing transportation jobs.