# Sami's Law: Making Ride-Hailing Safer Through Better Verification

This bill requires ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft to build a verification system that lets passengers confirm they're getting into the right car with the right driver before the trip starts. Right now, when you request a ride, you see information about your driver and vehicle on your phone, but there's no built-in way to double-check that the person who pulls up is actually who they claim to be. This bill changes that by requiring companies to create a digital verification method—think of it like a digital handshake where both the passenger and driver confirm they're the right people before anyone gets in the car.

The companies have 90 days after the law passes to set up this system. The verification could work through a personal identification number, license plate confirmation, or other technology that lets passengers and drivers confirm each other's identity. The bill also requires that this system work for people who are visually impaired, so blind or low-vision passengers can verify their driver's identity just as easily as anyone else. Once a passenger and driver verify each other through this system, the driver can't start the trip until both have confirmed the match. Companies can let passengers opt out of using the system if they want, but the default will be verification for every ride.

The bill also creates an advisory council made up of representatives from ride-hailing companies, disability advocates, law enforcement, victims' advocacy groups, and government agencies. This council will recommend standards for newer verification technologies that might be developed in the future, recognizing that better ways to verify identity might emerge over time. The Department of Transportation will oversee enforcement, and companies that don't comply can face penalties of up to $5,000 per day, or $20,000 per day if they knowingly and willfully violate the rules. Additionally, the bill makes it illegal to sell fake ride-hailing signs or logos that could be used to impersonate legitimate drivers—another safety measure aimed at preventing people from getting into the wrong vehicles.

Sami's Law

Smith, Christopher H.

Sami's Law This bill establishes safety requirements for ride-sharing companies (e.g., Uber, Lyft, or taxicabs). Specifically, each company must implement a digital system that enables prospective ride-share passengers and drivers to identify each other. A company that fails to implement a system is subject to civil penalties. Additionally, the bill prohibits the sale of any signage that is designed to help a passenger identify a ride-sharing vehicle and contains a proprietary trademark or logo, or purports to be that of a ride-sharing company, unless the sale is authorized by the company. The Department of Transportation must establish an advisory council for developing recommended performance standards for new technology that enables verification of ride-share passengers and drivers. The Government Accountability Office must conduct a study on the incidence of assault and abuse perpetrated on drivers by passengers of ride-sharing vehicles and on passengers by drivers of such vehicles.