Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026 directs the Transportation Secretary to develop stronger accident-impact testing for lithium-ion cells and batteries transported under UN 3536. Within two years, DOT must require commercially transported cells and batteries to be offered at no more than 30 percent state of charge unless PHMSA approves higher-charge transport conditions. DOT must also issue rules or final guidance for damaged, defective, or recalled batteries and revisit the standards every five years for emerging battery risks.
PHMSA must establish a research-grant program for suppression technology, the effect of state of charge, and methods responders can use to verify residual charge. Specialized fire-testing facilities are eligible, and PFAS-free, cost-effective projects receive priority. Projects have an 18-month completion deadline, recipients must report findings, PHMSA must report results and recommendations to Congress, and $10 million is authorized for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
The bill separately creates competitive grants for volunteer and career fire departments to buy suppression blankets and agents, diagnostic tools, environmental monitoring and runoff controls, containment systems, and packaging for damaged batteries. DOT must open that grant process within one year, allow 90 days for applications, and select recipients within 180 days after solicitation begins.
Who Benefits and How
Fire departments and emergency responders gain equipment, diagnostics, and evidence about effective suppression methods. Transport workers and communities along lithium-battery routes may face lower fire and thermal-runaway risk. Fire-testing facilities and developers of PFAS-free suppression tools gain grant opportunities. Battery shippers gain clearer rules for damaged products and approved higher-charge exceptions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Commercial battery shippers must meet the 30-percent charge limit or secure PHMSA approval, and handlers of damaged batteries must follow new packaging, movement, and disposal rules. PHMSA rulemaking and grant staff must meet multiple deadlines, review projects, and update standards every five years. Grant recipients must finish studies and report findings. Federal transportation-safety accounts bear authorized grant costs, while suppliers of PFAS-containing tools may be disadvantaged in research-grant priority.
Key Provisions
- Requires a 30-percent state-of-charge ceiling for commercial transport.
- Authorizes higher-charge shipments only under PHMSA-approved conditions.
- Directs development of an accident-impact test for UN 3536 transport units.
- Requires guidance or regulations for damaged, defective, or recalled batteries.
- Requires five-year reviews for emerging thermal-runaway risks.
- Creates suppression-research grants with PFAS-free and cost criteria.
- Authorizes $10 million for research grants during fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
- Creates competitive equipment grants for volunteer and career fire departments.
- Requires fixed application, selection, project, and congressional-report deadlines.
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
Tightens lithium-ion battery transport safety through a 30-percent state-of-charge limit, accident-resistant testing, damaged-battery guidance, recurring updates, and two grant programs for suppression research and fire-department equipment.
Key Policy Areas
Lithium-Ion Battery Safety, Hazardous Materials Transportation, Thermal Runaway, Fire Department Grants, Emergency Response
Primary Purpose
Tightens lithium-ion battery transport safety through a 30-percent state-of-charge limit, accident-resistant testing, damaged-battery guidance, recurring updates, and two grant programs for suppression research and fire-department equipment.
Policy Domains
Section 5 fire-department equipment grants
Identified Gains
- Volunteer fire departments
- Career fire departments
- Firefighters responding to lithium-battery incidents
- Lithium fire-safety equipment suppliers
- Communities served by grant recipients
Identified Costs
- DOT lithium-fire grant staff
- Fire-department grant applicants
- Fire-department equipment managers
- Federal hazardous-materials grant accounts
Section 3 lithium-ion battery transport requirements
Identified Gains
- Workers transporting lithium-ion batteries
- Emergency responders to battery transport fires
- Communities near lithium-battery transport routes
- Battery shippers seeking damaged-product guidance
- PHMSA transport-safety programs
Identified Costs
- Commercial lithium-battery shippers
- Shippers seeking approval above 30-percent charge
- Damaged-battery logistics providers
- PHMSA hazardous-materials rulemaking staff
- DOT international-standards staff
Section 4 suppression research grants
Identified Gains
- Fire-suppression testing facilities
- PFAS-free suppression technology developers
- Emergency responders studying battery fires
- Communities near battery transport incidents
- PHMSA emergency-response programs
Identified Costs
- PHMSA thermal-runaway grant staff
- Research-grant recipients
- Federal transportation-safety accounts
- Suppliers of PFAS-containing suppression products
- PHMSA congressional-reporting staff
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in …
Introduced in House
Ms. Titus introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Career fire departments, Communities near battery transport incidents, Communities near lithium-battery transport routes
DOT international-standards staff, DOT lithium-fire grant staff, Federal transportation-safety accounts
Battery shippers seeking damaged-product guidance, Commercial lithium-battery shippers, Damaged-battery logistics providers
Positive-direction: Battery shippers seeking damaged-product guidance, Workers transporting lithium-ion batteries
Negative-direction: Commercial lithium-battery shippers, Damaged-battery logistics providers, Shippers seeking approval above 30-percent charge
Lithium fire-safety equipment suppliers, PFAS-free suppression technology developers, Suppliers of PFAS-containing suppression products
Positive-direction: Lithium fire-safety equipment suppliers, PFAS-free suppression technology developers
Negative-direction: Suppliers of PFAS-containing suppression products
Fire-suppression testing facilities, Research-grant recipients
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "handler"
- → Entity moving or disposing of damaged batteries
- "shipper"
- → Entity offering lithium-ion cells or batteries for transport
- "regulator"
- → Secretary of Transportation and PHMSA
- "standards_body"
- → United Nations dangerous-goods testing subcommittee
- "reviewer"
- → Congressional transportation committees
- "recipient"
- → Eligible fire-suppression testing facility
- "responder"
- → Emergency responder using study findings
- "administrator"
- → PHMSA Administrator
- "supplier"
- → Provider of eligible lithium-fire safety equipment
- "recipient"
- → Volunteer or career fire department
- "administrator"
- → Secretary of Transportation
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The maximum rated-capacity charge for cells or batteries offered for commercial transport absent PHMSA-approved conditions.
An uncontrolled increase in cell temperature caused by exothermic reactions inside cells or batteries.
A rechargeable intercalation cell or battery with no metallic lithium in either electrode, excluding products described in 49 C.F.R. 173.185(c) and (g)(2).
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