To amend title 49, United States Code, to require each new electric and hybrid vehicle to be equipped with technology that allows the timely extinguishment of an electric vehicle battery fire, and for other purposes.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This electric and hybrid vehicle safety bill adds a new title 49 standard for battery and exit safety. Within two years, DOT must issue a motor vehicle standard for new electric and hybrid vehicles manufactured or sold in the United States to mitigate fire, explosion, reignition, stranded energy, thermal runaway, passenger-compartment fire breach, power loss, and other battery safety risks. The rule must be developed with major EV and hybrid manufacturers, a fire-protection standards organization, professional firefighter representatives, volunteer firefighter representatives, and fire chiefs. Covered vehicles must include first-responder access technology for immediate battery access, technology that suppresses thermal runaway after cell damage, safeguards delaying passenger-compartment breach long enough for escape or rescue, and standardized battery and first-responder access locations. DOT must publish firefighter guidance within one year after the standard. DOT must also issue a mechanical door release safety standard for all new EVs and hybrids. Separately, HHS must study health impacts of electric and hybrid battery fires on first responders, collect input from firefighter and standards organizations, and publicly report findings and legislative recommendations.
Who Benefits and How
Firefighters benefit from battery-access technology, standardized access locations, training guidance, and an HHS study of battery-fire health effects. Vehicle occupants benefit from requirements intended to slow passenger-compartment fire intrusion and preserve escape through mechanical releases. Battery fire suppression suppliers and safety technology firms benefit from a federal standard that can create demand for compliant equipment. NHTSA and HHS gain specific mandates to address EV battery fire risks.
Who Bears the Burden and How
EV manufacturers and hybrid vehicle manufacturers must redesign or certify vehicles for battery-fire access, thermal-runaway suppression, passenger-compartment safeguards, standardized access locations, and mechanical door releases. NHTSA rulemaking staff must consult outside groups, write standards, publish guidance, and enforce civil-penalty coverage. HHS public health researchers must conduct the first-responder health study and publish recommendations. Firefighter organizations and standards bodies must provide consultation input.
Key Provisions
- Requires DOT to issue an EV and hybrid vehicle battery-fire safety standard within two years.
- Mandates first-responder battery access, thermal-runaway suppression, passenger-compartment safeguards, and standardized access locations.
- Requires DOT to publish firefighter battery-fire response guidance within one year after the vehicle standard.
- Requires clearly marked interior and exterior mechanical door releases on each new EV or hybrid vehicle door and hatch.
- Requires HHS to study health impacts of electric and hybrid battery fires on first responders and recommend legislative action.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires DOT to issue new safety standards for electric and hybrid vehicles covering battery-fire mitigation, first-responder battery access, thermal-runaway suppression, passenger-compartment protection, standardized battery access locations, mechanical door releases, and firefighter guidance, while requiring HHS to study battery-fire health effects on first responders.
Key Policy Areas
Transportation, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Law Enforcement
Primary Purpose
Requires DOT to issue new safety standards for electric and hybrid vehicles covering battery-fire mitigation, first-responder battery access, thermal-runaway suppression, passenger-compartment protection, standardized battery access locations, mechanical door releases, and firefighter guidance, while requiring HHS to study battery-fire health effects on first responders.
Policy Domains
Substantive provisions
Identified Gains
- Firefighters responding to battery fires
- Vehicle occupants
- Battery fire suppression suppliers
- NHTSA vehicle safety staff
- HHS public health researchers
Identified Costs
- EV manufacturers
- Hybrid vehicle manufacturers
- Vehicle certification teams
- NHTSA rulemaking staff
- HHS study staff
- Firefighter organizations
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Latimer (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following …
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Fire chiefs, Firefighter organizations, Firefighters responding to battery fires
Positive-direction: Fire chiefs, Firefighters responding to battery fires, First responders exposed to battery fires, Professional firefighters, Volunteer firefighters
Negative-direction: Firefighter organizations
Battery fire suppression suppliers, EV manufacturers, Hybrid vehicle manufacturers
Positive-direction: Battery fire suppression suppliers
Negative-direction: EV manufacturers, Hybrid vehicle manufacturers
Congressional transportation committees, HHS public health researchers, NHTSA rulemaking staff
Positive-direction: Congressional transportation committees
Negative-direction: HHS public health researchers, NHTSA rulemaking staff, NHTSA vehicle safety staff
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology