A House subcommittee has begun paving the way for autonomous delivery vehicles in Iowa neighborhoods.

“Welcome to the future,” Rep. Rob Bacon, R-Slater, told a subcommittee on House Study Bill 25 that would authorize and regulate the operation of personal delivery devices on sidewalks.

He described the vehicles as being about the size of an ice chest and weighing no more than 550 pounds when empty.

The bill would allow the vehicles, which employ automated driving technology, to deliver packages to customers who opt-in to the service.

Much of the discussion of the bill — before the three members of the Information Technology subcommittee advanced it — dealt with safety issues, Bacon said.

Read the full article on the Sioux City Journal website.