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Policy Pulse Nov 12, 2026

Puerto Rico Sends Lower AutoExpreso Toll Fine to Governor

By Lara Hillard
4 mins read

This week in brief: Puerto Rico sent a lower AutoExpreso toll fine to the governor on Nov. 5, and the District of Columbia’s Mayor signed a $5 million agreement for Gold Line bus rapid transit on Nov. 9. In Texas, lawmakers prefiled 22 transportation bills in two days, seven of them on tolls.

Signed or sent to the governor

  • Puerto Rico PC 1352 would lower the fine for drivers who pass toll stations without enough AutoExpreso balance and require a first notice within 24 hours. The enrolled text sets the fine at $10 per violation plus the unpaid toll. It was sent to the governor Nov. 5.
  • Puerto Rico PS 1019 would give the Negociado de Transporte y otros Servicios Públicos sole authority over schools that train chauffeurs, heavy-vehicle drivers, and tractor-trailer drivers, and over those license exams. It was sent to the governor Nov. 9 after the House passed it without changes.
  • District of Columbia B26-0836 approves a $5 million agreement with WMATA to develop Gold Line bus rapid transit on H Street and Benning Road. The Mayor signed it Nov. 9 as an emergency act, which expires Feb. 7, 2027.

Bills that cleared a chamber or committee

  • Puerto Rico PC 1285 would create a four-year pilot program for Intelligent Speed Assistance devices, which keep a vehicle from going over the speed limit, for drivers facing license suspension. It passed the House Nov. 11.
  • Puerto Rico RCC 0224 would have toll authorities and concessionaire Metropistas alert drivers to low AutoExpreso balances at toll stations. It passed the House Nov. 9.
  • Congress S. 2378, the SAFEGUARDS Act, would set how aviation security fee money is split among airport security funds. The Senate Commerce Committee reported it Nov. 9.
  • Congress S. 1759, the Supersonic Aviation Modernization Act, would direct the FAA to allow supersonic civil flights as long as no sonic boom reaches the ground in the U.S. The Senate Commerce Committee reported it Nov. 10.

Texas prefiles for 2027

Texas opened bill filing for its 2027 session on Nov. 9. Tolls, highway money, and vehicle rules led the transportation filings.

  • Texas HB 1042 would stop toll collection in certain circumstances, and HB 622 would bar collecting tolls owed because of a billing or other error. Both were filed Nov. 9–10.
  • Texas HJR 64 would let state highway fund money go to seaports, airports, spaceports, land ports of entry, and international bridges.
  • Texas HB 487 would set emergency response procedures for automated motor vehicles, and HB 308 would bar requiring Intelligent Speed Assistance devices.
  • Texas HB 1072 would change how electric vehicle registration fees are allocated, and SB 192 would require EV charging equipment to run on renewable energy.
  • Texas HB 926 would require lawful presence verification for commercial driver’s licenses and verification for certain motor carriers.

Local Action

  • New Orleans City Council deferred an ordinance to license and permit for-hire autonomous vehicles to its Nov. 19 meeting.
  • Peosta, Iowa, City Council voted Nov. 10 to set a public hearing on an ordinance for e-bikes and motorized scooters.

What To Watch

The New Orleans council takes up the autonomous vehicle ordinance again on Nov. 19. In Puerto Rico, watch for the governor’s decision on PC 1352 and PS 1019. The Texas Legislature convenes Jan. 12, 2027, so hearings on this week’s prefiled bills are unlikely before then. DC’s Gold Line emergency act expires Feb. 7, 2027.

Quick Answers

Which states are changing toll rules?

Puerto Rico sent the governor a bill that lowers AutoExpreso low-balance fines and adds a 24-hour notice. Texas lawmakers prefiled seven toll bills for 2027, including bills to stop toll collection in some cases and to bar collecting tolls owed because of billing errors.

Are cities regulating autonomous vehicles?

Yes. New Orleans is considering an ordinance to license and permit for-hire autonomous vehicles, set for its Nov. 19 meeting. In Texas, HB 487 would set emergency response procedures for automated vehicles.

Data: Quorum legislative tracking, Nov. 5 to Nov. 11, 2026. Track bills like these with Quorum State and Quorum Federal.