Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed into law more than three dozens bills from the recently completed legislative session, including regulations for personal delivery robots in the Evergreen State.
Some of the new rules for the emerging technology include restricting robots to sidewalks and crosswalks, only with human oversight, and always with functioning brakes. Companies including Amazon have rolled out robot delivery programs. The online retail giant began testing cooler-sized six-wheeled robots in Snohomish County before lawmakers had passed the state’s rules.
The bill also requires identification numbers, liability insurance, accident reporting, and lights for night operation.
Meanwhile, under other measures signed Tuesday, military Gold Star families will have their car license plate tabs automatically renewed; students who use medical marijuana for certain conditions won’t have to leave campus to take their medicine; and any city or county with an ordinance that bans a particular breed of dog is required to have a process for owners of individual dogs to be exempt if they pass a Canine Good Citizen Test and continue to pass it every two years. (AP, Spokesman-Review)
