Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026 directs the Department of Transportation to establish new safety regulations for transporting lithium-ion batteries within two years. The regulations will require batteries offered for commercial transport to have a maximum charge of 30 percent of their capacity under normal conditions, with higher charges only permitted under special approval. The bill also requires new international impact tests to help batteries withstand transport accidents without dangerous thermal runaway events, and mandates guidance on safely transporting damaged or defective batteries. Additionally, the bill establishes a $10 million grant program through 2031 for fire suppression facilities to develop and test innovative technologies that can suppress battery fires, and creates a separate grant program to help fire departments purchase equipment like thermal runaway suppression blankets and diagnostic tools to respond to lithium battery incidents.
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