February 25, 2020
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) package delivery robots could soon hit Virginia's sidewalks and roadways.
The state's General Assembly has made quick work of
a bill that would clear the way for Scout, Amazon's six-wheeled delivery robot, to operate in the commonwealth. The legislation was adopted by the House of Delegates Tuesday by an 88-12 vote. It unanimously cleared the Senate Feb. 11.
Minor differences between the House and Senate versions will have to be worked out in committee before the bill heads to Gov. Ralph Northam for his signature.
Under the bill adopted by the House, the robots would be allowed to travel on sidewalks or on the shoulder of a maximum 25 mph road if a sidewalk isn't available and the bot's movement doesn't disrupt traffic. The House bill also removes these robots from
a list of motorized-wheeled contraptions — like scooters, skateboards or electric bicycles — that city and county governments are allowed to ban from sidewalks and crosswalks.
The localities and the Commonwealth Transportation Board, which regulates and funds state transportation projects, would also be prohibited from banning Scout from these roads, per the bill, but they could "
adopt additional requirements designed to maintain safety."
The legislation was
introduced earlier this month by
Sen. David Marsden, D-Burke, who said during a subcommittee meeting it was "brought to us by our friends at Amazon."
Virginia was the
first state to allow these "personal delivery devices." That
law — which allowed robots of no more than 50 pounds to cruise sidewalks at about 10 mph — seemed tailored for Starship Technologies, which praised its
passage at the time. The San Francisco-based Starship also has permission to make deliveries in
D.C.
The House version of the new bill would allow robots weighing up to 500 pounds to move at the same speed, up from 200 pounds in Marsden's original. During public testimony, Moore said that Amazon's Scout weighed about 100 pounds. The weight increase was a move by legislators to allow other companies to operate heavier robots.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) lobbyist Duple Travillion publicly endorsed the bill with that weight amendment. The Memphis, Tennessee-based logistics company has its own
SameDay Bot, which it introduced a month after Amazon's.
The robot bill has met little resistance, though Del.
Danica Roem, D-Manassas, did vote against it in subcommittee, in committee and on the floor of the House. Roem acknowledged the legislation was likely to become law, but she would have preferred the robots be more limited in their top speed. Washington state, she noted, set the max speed at 6 mph.
"I recommended that we have it at 7 miles per hour during the subcommittee," Roem said. "When you are dealing with objects that are several hundred pounds and they are moving on their own, slower is better."
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