HR6576-119

What This Bill Does

The SAFE LiDAR Act treats light detection and ranging systems as a national-security supply-chain risk when they are produced, designed, controlled, or supported by foreign adversaries, especially China-linked firms. It bars covered persons from transactions that result in covered foreign-adversary LiDAR being used in the United States after a three-year transition, bars critical infrastructure operators and federal entities from using such technology on shorter timelines for new systems and five years for existing systems, and lets the Secretary of Commerce grant narrow waivers when national security, undue hardship, or continuity of critical functions justifies temporary use. The bill also blocks new U.S.-focused joint ventures, licensing agreements, and technology partnerships around covered foreign-adversary LiDAR, creates civil penalties and unwind authority, and requires Commerce guidance, a transition task force, advisory opinions, and annual reports to Congress.

Who Benefits and How

Domestic and trusted-partner LiDAR manufacturers benefit because the bill pushes U.S. vehicle, robotics, defense, manufacturing, and infrastructure users away from foreign-adversary systems and toward alternative suppliers. National-security officials and critical-infrastructure risk managers benefit from clearer Commerce authority to force divestment, mitigate continued use, review waivers, and track PRC circumvention attempts. Companies already trying to exit foreign-adversary technology can also benefit from the advisory-opinion and waiver process if they need temporary continuity while replacing systems.

Who Bears the Burden and How

LiDAR users, autonomous vehicle developers, robotics companies, advanced manufacturers, critical infrastructure operators, and federal entities bear compliance burdens because they must identify covered foreign-adversary technology, stop prohibited transactions, replace or mitigate covered systems, and document waiver petitions. Companies tied to prohibited partnerships face blocked, unwound, or terminated arrangements and civil penalties. The Department of Commerce bears implementation duties to issue waiver rules, staff technical reviewers with autonomous-driving and robotics expertise, run a transition-risk task force, and report annually on enforcement, waivers, national-security threats, and PRC circumvention.

Key Provisions

• Prohibits covered U.S. transactions involving covered foreign-adversary LiDAR after a three-year transition and applies faster restrictions to new federal and critical-infrastructure uses.
• Authorizes Commerce to grant limited waivers, extensions, and mitigation agreements when national security, supply shortages, or critical-function continuity warrants temporary use.
• Bars U.S.-focused joint ventures, licensing agreements, and technology partnerships with companies controlling covered foreign-adversary LiDAR technology.
• Creates civil penalties, declaratory-judgment authority, unwind remedies, notice-and-petition procedures, and Commerce reports on enforcement, waivers, emerging threats, and PRC circumvention.