Fully autonomous vehicles aren’t just the figment of sci-fi enthusiasts’ imagination. Lawmakers and staffers are attempting to make them a reality on U.S. roads. Christian Fjeld was part of that push last year as lead Democratic Senate staffer for the American Vision for Safer Transportation through Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies Act (AV START Act).

The autonomous vehicle bill, however, fizzled in the Senate because it failed to meet some senators’ safety concerns as the 115th Congress came to a close.