New cars must detect cyclists of all skin tones—closing a safety gap

What it does

This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish safety standards for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems in new cars and light trucks within 3 years, mandating that these systems detect and respond to cyclists and pedestrians across all skin tones, lighting conditions, and clothing types. Manufacturers would have 2 model years after the rule is issued to comply. The bill is named after Magnus White, a cyclist killed by a vehicle.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a direct safety standard for vehicle technology, applied uniformly across manufacturers. It is not a subsidy, carve-out, or deregulation—it is a binding performance requirement in the public interest.

What the text implies

• The requirement that AEB systems detect vulnerable road users 'with respect to the entire range of colors and complexions' addresses documented algorithmic bias in computer-vision systems, which have historically underperformed on darker skin tones—a concrete equity issue embedded in the safety standard.
• Compliance timeline (2 model years post-rule) is tight but achievable; manufacturers already deploy AEB systems, so the standard raises the bar on detection capability rather than requiring new technology from scratch.
• The bill does not specify penalties for non-compliance or enforcement mechanisms, leaving those details to DOT rulemaking—a potential implementation gap if the agency lacks resources or political will.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill mandates safety technology that protects vulnerable road users (cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists) by requiring AEB systems to detect them reliably regardless of skin tone, lighting, or clothing—addressing a documented equity and safety gap. The compliance timeline is reasonable and the standard applies uniformly to all manufacturers, creating no carve-outs or exemptions.

Who stands to gain

• automotive manufacturers (sensor and AEB system suppliers)
• technology companies specializing in computer vision and machine learning for vehicle safety

Named in the bill

Department of Transportation (DOT), Magnus White (namesake, deceased cyclist), Automatic emergency braking (AEB) system manufacturers, Vulnerable road users (cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists)

Where it stands

21 cosponsors: 21 Democrats.

• May 29, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 29, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 3 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,013,158 in lobbying spend. A filing names 127 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Joe Neguse, the sponsor, reported $1,076,229 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies — $1,005,758 on 2 filings
• League of American Wheelmen, Inc — $7,400 on 1 filing

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 23, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.