WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, aimed at protecting the American auto industry from the growing threat of Chinese-made vehicles and the technology embedded within them. The bill prevents Americans’ data from being collected on American roads and sent back to Beijing by cutting off the supply of vehicles, software, and critical hardware originating from China or Chinese companies at every point in the chain, from the manufacturing process, to import, to sale.
“Chinese cars are a serious threat to America’s national security and Michigan’s economic security,” said Senator Slotkin. “Chinese cars are surveillance packages on wheels, with the ability to collect on American citizens and sensitive sites. The Chinese Communist Party’s playbook of heavily subsidizing their product, underselling the competition, and then having a monopoly over that sector puts Michigan’s auto industry and our millions of workers at risk. We need to act now, and get this right. I look forward to continued work on this bill with Senator Moreno, our workers, our manufacturers and anyone else to stop Chinese vehicles from ever coming into the United States.”
“The American auto industry is the backbone of the American industrial economy, we cannot afford to make the same mistakes globalists have made for decades and see these great American companies devastated by predatory and massively subsidized Chinese state enterprises hellbent on the destruction of our economy,” said Senator Moreno. “As Europe, Mexico, and others allow their markets to be overrun by Chinese predators, the U.S. must act before it’s too late. The answer is simple: Chinese vehicles can never be allowed into the U.S. market—the fate of the American auto industry and countless autoworkers depends on it.”
“Our national and economic security relies on a strong US auto industry,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “The American Dream was launched and sustained out of good union auto jobs here in the United States. If we want to rebuild US manufacturing and raise standards for the working class, we can’t keep offshoring and outsourcing our auto industry, driving a global race to the bottom for short term corporate profits. Our US auto industry must invest in cutting-edge technology and build affordable, high-quality vehicles for the American consumer, built by UAW autoworkers. We can’t keep selling out the US working class to transnational corporations that have no respect for labor rights. By building on and strengthening the existing connected vehicles rule, this legislation puts common sense guardrails on a major threat to our nation’s auto industry.”
“GM commends Senators Moreno (R-OH) and Slotkin (D-MI) on the introduction of the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026,” said General Motors. “General Motors supports policies that protect and strengthen American manufacturing and the global competitiveness of U.S. automakers, and we remain committed to long-term investments in our domestic workforce, facilities, and technology. As we have said many times, we can compete with anyone in the world when we are given a level playing field. We look forward to continuing to work with both offices through the legislative process.”
“We commend Senators Moreno and Slotkin on their bipartisan work to protect the U.S. industrial base. We look forward to working with Congress as the bill moves through the legislative process,” said Ford Motor Company.
“The Connected Vehicle Security Act addresses important issues related to connected vehicle security and fair competition in the U.S. market,” said Stellantis. We look forward to working with Senators Moreno and Slotkin on the details as their legislation moves forward.”
“China has a strategy to dominate global automotive and battery manufacturing that presents a challenge to American economic and national security,” said John Bozzella, president and CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation. “We need to make sure we’re all playing by the same rules, but Chinese automakers are flooding markets around the world with cut-rate vehicles. Sens. Moreno and Slotkin don’t want that to happen here. They’re right. The legislation they introduced today sends a clear message: The U.S. will not throw open the doors to Chinese automakers to manufacture or sell here. The details matter, and we’ll continue working with lawmakers to get this policy right, so all our member companies continue to succeed and thrive inside the U.S.”
“AISI applauds Senators Moreno and Slotkin for their leadership on introducing the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026,” said Kevin Dempsey, AISI president and CEO. “The American steel industry’s success is inextricably linked to the health of U.S. automotive manufacturing. When U.S. automakers compete on a fair and secure basis, American steelmakers thrive alongside them. Chinese state-subsidized vehicles, produced outside the bounds of fair trade and with serious national security implications, threaten to undermine the entire domestic supply chain —from research and development facilities to steel mills to the assembly lines. This bipartisan legislation takes an important step toward ensuring that the future of American mobility is built with American steel.”
“As the largest auto manufacturer in Ohio, Honda commends Senators Bernie Moreno and Elissa Slotkin on introducing the Connected Vehicle Security Act, which seeks to provide a fair and competitive marketplace for U.S. automakers,” said American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “As global competition in the automotive sector intensifies, the bill importantly recognizes how American economic and national security are increasingly connected. Honda looks forward to working with the sponsors as the legislation evolves.”
“SAFE strongly supports the Connected Vehicle Security Act which expands current law to combat the growing threat posed by Chinese automakers and suppliers, and the risks they pose to America’s economic and national security,” said Rachel McCleery, Executive Director of SAFE’s Coalition for Reimagined Mobility. “After gaining market access to Mexico and Canada, our geopolitical adversary is even closer to deploying vehicles on U.S. roads – vehicles that collect and transmit sensitive geolocation, infrastructure, and behavioral data at scale. This new legislation is a crucial step towards building secure and resilient supply chains, protecting our industrial base, and blocking real-time espionage and surveillance by foreign adversaries.”
This legislation rolls out its requirements in stages, starting with software and vehicle restrictions in 2027, and moving to hardware restrictions that would follow in 2030. This timeline is consistent with the framework already established by the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Connected Vehicles rule.
Bill text can be found HERE and a one-pager can be found HERE.
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