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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) released the following statement after the Transportation Research Center (TRC), Ohio State University, and the state of Ohio broke ground on the state-of-the-art Smart Center yesterday in East Liberty. The Smart Center will be the world’s biggest autonomous vehicle testing facility.

“The groundbreaking of the Transportation Research Center’s Smart Center shows that Ohio is uniquely positioned to lead self-driving car innovation,” said Latta. “Along with the safety and mobility benefits of autonomous vehicles, there will also be an economic benefit as Ohioans drive development, testing, and deployment of this technology. I’ve seen the great work at the TRC up close, and I have no doubt that the new Smart Center will play an integral role in the advancement of self-driving vehicles. At the same time, as innovators continue to move forward, this highlights the need to pass the SELF DRIVE Act and put in place a Federal framework for this cutting-edge technology.”

Latta, who serves as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, is the leader in Congress on autonomous vehicle technology. Last year, he authored the SELF DRIVE Act to establish a Federal framework for the testing, development, and deployment of self-driving cars which passed the House by a voice vote.

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