# Kentucky lawmakers weigh regulation of delivery robots **Published:** 2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z **Source:** [KY Legislative Research Commission](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#IJCT-080426) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-lawmakers-weigh-regulation-of-delivery-robots FRANKFORT, Ky. — Autonomous delivery robots could soon roam Kentucky streets and sidewalks if lawmakers approve legislation, but some state legislators expressed concerns about safety and job displacement during a committee meeting. The [Interim Joint Committee on Transportation discussed potential regulations for personal delivery devices](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html) on Tuesday, focusing on House Bill 741, which was filed by Rep. Chris Lewis, R-Louisville, but did not pass during the 2026 legislative session. The proposed bill would have defined personal delivery devices as autonomous robots capable of transporting cargo on sidewalks, crosswalks, bicycle lanes and roadways. It also would have restricted their speed and required companies to carry $100,000 in liability insurance. DoorDash has been championing such legislation across the country. The company's autonomous robot, Dot, weighs 350 pounds, can carry up to 30 pounds of cargo and travels at speeds up to 20 mph. Currently, Dot operates only in California and Arizona, according to Jake Holmgreen, DoorDash's senior associate of southeast government relations. He told the committee the company has logged approximately 200,000 miles on public roads with no reported major safety incidents. Holmgreen emphasized that DoorDash aims to supplement human drivers, not replace them. "The robot would take priority of kind of smaller orders to allow those dashers, those human drivers, to complete larger, more financially rewarding, lucrative deliveries," he said. Rep. Anne Gay Donworth, D-Lexington, reported nearly hitting one of the devices while driving in Lexington and advocated for higher insurance requirements. "If you're talking about an accident and it involves multiple cars or pedestrians, additional health emergencies come out of it," she said. Sen. Gary Clemons, D-Louisville, expressed concern about job losses. "I'm concerned any time we do something autonomous that we're losing jobs, and that's one thing I'm definitely not interested in," he said. Several states have already approved personal delivery device legislation, including Tennessee, which passed regulations earlier this year allowing the robots with local government oversight. Multiple states now have laws permitting their operation under specific safety and insurance requirements. The Kentucky General Assembly cannot take action on legislation until the 2027 session begins Jan. 5. The committee plans to meet again on Sept. 1 at 1 p.m. ## Sources - [KY Legislative Research Commission](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#IJCT-080426) - [Tennessee House updates rules for autonomous delivery devices](https://citizenportal.ai/articles/7486437/Tennessee/2026-Legislature-TN/Tennessee-House-updates-rules-for-autonomous-delivery-devices-authorizing-limited-use-with-local-public-safety-controls) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Legislative Research Commission, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#IJCT-080426.