On Sept. 20, the Obama administration rolled out new policies governing autonomous vehicles that give the federal government a lead role in developing safety, testing and road-ready rules for the fast-growing industry.

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Safety assessment

The long-awaited policy, outlined broadly by federal officials in a press briefing Monday, Sept. 19, includes a voluntary 15-point "safety assessment" for automakers developing and testing driverless cars as well as model state regulations expected to address areas in which local agencies will have more discretion, such as liability standards.

"When a human being is operating the vehicle, the state laws that have conventionally applied will still apply," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "But in terms of our approach to the regulatory environment of a software-driven car, we intend to occupy the field there."

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Cheryl Miller

Cheryl Miller, based in Sacramento, covers the state legislature and emerging industries, including autonomous vehicles and marijuana. She authors the weekly cannabis newsletter Higher Law. Contact her at [email protected]. On Twitter: @CapitalAccounts