Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026
Lithium-Ion Battery Safety: New Transport Rules
The Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to two House committees for review and is not yet scheduled for a vote. The bill is considered active as it moves through these initial committee assignments.
Legislative Progress
Most bills introduced in the House never make it to a final vote. While it addresses a real safety issue, it currently lacks the broad support needed to move quickly through Congress.
Key Points
- The Department of Transportation would create new rules for shipping lithium-ion batteries. Most batteries would have to be shipped with only 30 percent of their power to make them less likely to catch fire if there is an accident.
- The bill sets up a 10 million dollar program to find better ways to stop battery fires. This includes testing new tools that do not use harmful chemicals and finding ways for emergency workers to check a battery power level after a crash.
- Local fire departments would be able to apply for grants to buy special gear. This includes fire blankets and tools to safely move batteries that are damaged, broken, or have been recalled by the manufacturer.
- The government would work with international experts to update crash tests for batteries. These tests would make sure batteries can handle the bumps and shakes of travel without overheating or exploding.
Impact Analysis
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Milestones
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.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
News
No related news coverage found for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.