Terry Canales, Texas State Representative of 40th District | Official Website
Terry Canales, Texas State Representative of 40th District | Official Website
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the regulation of autonomous vehicles; creating a criminal offense’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill establishes the regulation of autonomous vehicles in Texas, including setting requirements for registration and operation permits. Vehicles must be registered as autonomous, have a permit from the Autonomous Vehicle Commission, and comply with state and federal safety standards. The bill prohibits the operation of autonomous vehicles on highways without proper permits and imposes a Class A misdemeanor for violations. It also creates the Autonomous Vehicle Commission, composed of appointed members, to oversee implementation and rule-making, with reviews and potential abolishment set according to the Texas Sunset Act. The commission and other agencies must adopt necessary rules, with staggered compliance deadlines leading to full implementation by Jan. 1, 2026.
Terry Canales, chair of the House Committee on S/C on Transportation Funding and member of the House Committee on Transportation, proposed another nine bills during the 89(R) legislative session.
Canales graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word and again from St. Mary's University School of Law with a JD.
Terry Canales is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 40th House district. He replaced previous state representative Aaron Peña in 2013.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 3850 | 03/26/2025 | Relating to comments by members of the public at an open meeting of a governmental body on items not on the agenda for that meeting |
| HB 3849 | 03/26/2025 | Relating to the program categories in the unified transportation program |
| HB 1697 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the management, operation, and contract authority of open-enrollment charter schools |
| HB 1694 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the eligibility of school bus drivers and cafeteria workers for unemployment compensation benefits |
| HB 1693 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the financial audit of certain open-enrollment charter schools by the state auditor |
| HB 1678 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the collection and disclosure of certain public information |
| HB 1667 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the eligibility of certain first responders for workers' compensation benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder under the workers' compensation system |
| HB 1666 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the expunction of arrest records and files relating to certain nonviolent misdemeanor offenses |
| HB 1665 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the payment of gratuities to certain employees |
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