What Happened?

Cars that drive themselves are already on some American roads, and Tesla is spending more to shape the rules they follow. The company reported $650,000 in lobbying spending from July through September, nearly double the $340,000 it reported a year earlier, according to its federal lobbying report and a Legis1 review of the filing. ​

Federal rules require that total to include what Tesla pays outside lobbying firms. Four firms reported $210,000 from Tesla for the quarter, led by Continental Strategy at $90,000. Tesla’s filing lists self-driving car policy, the SELF DRIVE Act, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax law, the annual defense policy bill, critical minerals and energy permitting.

Why Does It Matter To Me?

There are no federal safety standards written specifically for self-driving cars, so states have stepped in with their own rules. The SELF DRIVE Act, from Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), would require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to set those standards by September 2027 and would override state restrictions.

A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee advanced the bill 12 to 11 along party lines on Feb. 10, according to a Legis1 report on the markup. Tesla said the bill “would establish a clear national framework for the deployment of autonomous vehicles.”

Both Sides, Now

At a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Feb. 4, Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, said “federal regulations for vehicles have not kept up with the pace of the rapid evolution of technology.”

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) argued that staff cuts at NHTSA have weakened oversight, saying the agency opened 41% fewer recall investigations in 2025 than in 2024. NHTSA’s own 2024 review of Tesla’s Autopilot found at least 13 fatal crashes and called the system’s driver monitoring “weak,” TechCrunch reported. All 11 Democrats on the House subcommittee voted against the SELF DRIVE Act, and Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety called it “deeply flawed legislation.”

What Happens Next?

The SELF DRIVE Act still needs a vote by the full Energy and Commerce Committee before it could reach the House floor. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, has said self-driving rules could be added to the next highway funding bill. Congress returns Monday, Nov. 9, with the Senate still weighing the House-passed defense policy bill that Tesla also lobbied on.

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