California is set to revise its regulations on autonomous vehicles with proposed changes that will allow vehicles without drivers or anyone in them to operate on their roads starting next year.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles published the proposed changes to self-driving car regulations on Wednesday. They do include some limits, such as a new provisions requiring manufacturers to notify local governments when they plan on testing autonomous vehicles, a new template for manufacturers to report the number of times the vehicle forced the human driver to take control because it couldn’t safely navigate the conditions on the road, and a requirement that operators report to the state when technological upgrades are made, such as a change in the level of automation.

According to a report from The Verge, the new regulations are not “a clear path for fully autonomous vehicles to overrun the streets of California” in some sort of robotic Orwellian future. Manufacturers still require approval or a waiver for exemption from the federal government before operating a vehicle on public roads without a human driver or conventional controls such as a steering wheel or pedals.

The motor vehicle industry had mixed responses to the changes. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers praised the move, saying that California had recognized that certain onerous requirements could delay deployment of self-driving technology and that the organization appreciated California’s attempts to streamline requirements consistent with the recently updated federal guidance. On the flip side, the Association of Global Automakers said that the changes do not go far enough, given that a “special permit is still required to deploy, creating regulatory uncertainty and raising concerns about the ability of autonomous vehicles to cross state lines.”

A full copy of the proposed changes is available on the California DMV website. The public is invited to provide feedback on the proposed changes over the next 15 days, after which the regulations will be handed over to the state government to ratification.

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