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SALT LAKE CITY — A bill that would allow all levels of autonomous vehicles on state highways, plus a proposal to give incentives to students to do well on standardized tests moved ahead at the Utah Legislature Wednesday.
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Driverless vehicle bill wins Utah House approval
The Utah House put its collective foot on the gas of moving a proposal forward that would clear the lanes for autonomous vehicles on state highways.
HB101, supported on a unanimous House vote on Wednesday, would allow for operation in Utah of all levels of autonomous vehicles, which are rated from 0, designating a vehicle with no automated assistance whatsoever, to a 5, which is a vehicle that can pilot itself regardless of conditions.
The highest level of automation in vehicles currently available to consumers, like those sold by Tesla, Volvo or Mercedes-Benz, is level 2.
Utah Senate panel backs incentives for students to do well on standardized tests
The Senate Education Committee has endorsed a bill that would allow teachers to give class credit to students for their efforts on standardized tests.
HB118, sponsored by Rep. Mike Winder, R-West Valley City, "legalizes the carrots while prohibiting the sticks," he said.
The legislation doesn't penalize students who opt out of standardized testing. But for students to take the tests and give their best efforts, the bill allows those "hours of test taking count for something,’’ Winder said during committee discussion Wednesday.
Radioactive waste bill gets preliminary approval in Utah Senate
EnergySolutions is seeking assurances from Utah lawmakers that if it meets disposal requirements and the approval of regulators, it can bury depleted uranium at its Tooele County facility.
That is how Sen. Scott Sandall, R-Tremonton, explained the genesis of HB220, which received a 23-6 vote on its second reading Wednesday in the Utah Senate.
Sandall said the bill, in its fourth version, does not guarantee acceptance of the waste or site suitability but rather ensures that if the company continues to spend money on a site-specific analysis that its investment will not be in vain.
