The rideshare immunity bill has not become law. As of November 5, 2026, the provision (an amendment tucked into H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act) has cleared only the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the rights of injured riders and crash victims in Chicago and across Illinois remain exactly what they were, including the $1,000,000 insurance requirement during rides. But the bill is very much alive, and anyone with a potential claim should understand what may be coming.
In June, we warned readers that Congress was quietly considering this sweeping liability shield for Uber, Lyft, and other app-based transportation companies. That first alert, our post on what the rideshare immunity bill means for Uber and Lyft victims, struck a nerve, and readers have been asking for an update ever since. This article is that update, covering where the bill stands now, what it would actually change, and why acting promptly matters.
There is no standalone bill called the rideshare immunity bill. The provision is an amendment folded into H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill introduced on May 19, 2026 by Representative Sam Graves of Missouri, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The underlying bill funds highways, bridges, transit, and rail, and the liability language has nothing to do with any of that.
As we explained in our June post, the amendment, offered by Representative Vince Fong of California during the committee’s markup, would preempt the state-law doctrines that let injured people hold rideshare companies themselves responsible, including common carrier duties, non-delegable duties, and vicarious liability. In their place, victims suing the companies would face a far higher bar, needing to show gross negligence or criminal wrongdoing by the company itself. Most troubling, the amendment is written to apply to lawsuits filed on or after the date of enactment, regardless of when the harm occurred, which means it could reach people who were hurt before the bill ever passed but had not yet filed.
The provision has drawn opposition inside Congress. On June 11, 2026, Representative Emilia Sykes and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus publicly urged the Speaker to remove the amendment before the bill reaches the House floor, warning that it would shield rideshare companies from liability when passengers are sexually assaulted, injured, or killed and would preempt longstanding state liability laws.
As of November 5, 2026, the official bill status records for H.R. 8870 show that the bill was introduced in the House on May 19, 2026 and referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The committee held its markup on May 21 and, in the early morning of May 22, ordered the bill reported favorably, as amended, by a vote of 62 to 2. That committee vote is the most recent official action recorded. The bill has not yet received a vote on the House floor, and the Senate has taken no action on it.
In plain terms, the rideshare immunity bill has cleared exactly one hurdle out of several. It still needs to pass the full House, pass the Senate, and be signed by the President before any of it becomes law. Provisions like this one are sometimes stripped out along the way, quietly amended, or attached to entirely different bills, so the situation can change quickly. We’re watching it closely and will update readers if it does.
Illinois victims currently benefit from two layers of protection. The first is the ability, in appropriate cases, to pursue the rideshare company itself rather than only the individual driver, using the very doctrines the amendment targets. The second is the Illinois Transportation Network Providers Act, whose insurance requirements make real recoveries possible.
The amendment attacks the first layer directly. If it became law, most Illinois victims could still sue the driver who hurt them, but claims against the company would face the gross negligence standard, which is difficult to prove and would defeat many otherwise valid cases. Because drivers are frequently underinsured relative to catastrophic injuries, the company is often the only defendant capable of fully compensating a badly injured person. Cutting off that path would leave some of the most seriously hurt victims with judgments they can never collect.
The retroactive reach matters most for people who have been hurt already but haven’t filed. Since the provision is written to apply to suits filed after enactment, waiting to file could mean losing claims that are perfectly valid today. None of this is cause for panic, though it is a good reason to move promptly on a potential case.
Nothing in the proposed federal bill changes what Illinois law requires right now. Under 625 ILCS 57/10, rideshare companies and their drivers must carry insurance of at least $1,000,000 for death, personal injury, and property damage from the moment a driver accepts a ride until the trip is complete, along with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $50,000 while a passenger is in the vehicle. When a driver is logged into the app but hasn’t accepted a ride, coverage of at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage applies, and the company must step in from the first dollar if the driver’s own policy fails. We break down how these tiers work, and who pays in each situation, in our companion guide to who pays after an Uber or Lyft crash in Illinois.
Illinois victims can also still rely on the ordinary negligence standard, rather than a gross negligence standard, in claims arising under current law. Every protection described above exists today and will continue to exist unless and until Congress acts.
If you were injured in a rideshare crash or harmed by a rideshare driver, the single most important consequence of this bill is timing. Get medical care and keep every record. Preserve your trip data, including screenshots of the ride, the driver’s information, receipts, and any communication with the company. Don’t give recorded statements to insurers before getting advice.
Then have your case evaluated promptly. Illinois statutes of limitations already put firm deadlines on injury claims (generally two years under 735 ILCS 5/13-202, and just one year when a local government defendant such as the CTA, Pace, or a municipality is involved under 745 ILCS 10/8-101), and the pending federal provision adds a second, unpredictable clock, because the date you file could determine which legal standard applies to your claim. An experienced Illinois rideshare accident lawyer can identify every available policy and theory, file within the deadlines that protect you, and position your case to withstand whatever Congress ultimately does.
As of November 5, 2026, the provision sits inside H.R. 8870, the BUILD America 250 Act, which was approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on May 22, 2026 but has not been voted on by the full House or the Senate. It is not law, and current state-law protections remain in effect.
Yes, Illinois law today allows claims against rideshare companies under ordinary negligence principles in appropriate cases, and the Illinois TNC Act requires $1,000,000 in coverage during rides. Because the pending federal provision is written to affect cases filed after enactment, having your claim evaluated and filed promptly is the safest course.
As described in our June analysis, it would preempt the state-law doctrines that let victims hold rideshare companies accountable and would require proof of gross negligence or criminal wrongdoing by the company. It is also drafted to apply to lawsuits filed after enactment even when the harm happened earlier.
Congress may change the rules, but your rights under Illinois law are intact today, and protecting them starts with acting before those rules change. Collins Law Group, P.C. represents people hurt in Uber and Lyft crashes and those harmed by rideshare drivers, and we’re tracking this legislation so our clients don’t have to. We offer free consultations, and you pay nothing unless we recover for you. If you or someone you love has been hurt, contact us today and let us evaluate your claim while every option is still on the table.
John D. Risvold is an equity partner at Collins Law Group, P.C. in Naperville, Illinois. He represents individuals and families in catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases, focusing on commercial trucking crashes, rideshare and autonomous vehicle litigation, medical malpractice and birth injury, and product defect claims. He has tried cases to verdict in Illinois courts, recovered more than $50 million for clients over thirteen years of practice, and has been named to Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation and Illinois Super Lawyers.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; if you have been injured, speak with a lawyer about your specific situation.
