FLARE Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The FLARE Act expands the federal firefighter-assistance grant program so eligible funds may support equipment involving lithium-ion cells or batteries and programs that suppress fires caused by thermal runaway. It adds thermal-runaway suppression as an express grant purpose rather than creating a separate grant program.
The bill defines a lithium-ion cell or battery as a rechargeable electrochemical cell or battery with intercalation-compound electrodes and no metallic lithium in either electrode, subject to specified hazardous-materials exclusions. It defines thermal runaway as an uncontrolled temperature increase caused by exothermic reactions inside cells or batteries, including lithium-ion cells or batteries.
Who Benefits and How
Fire departments and firefighters benefit from access to federal grant funds for specialized thermal-runaway suppression tools and programs. Emergency-response programs gain clearer eligibility for lithium-ion battery fire capabilities. Communities with battery-storage, electric-vehicle, or consumer-device fire risks may face lower response risk. Fire-equipment manufacturers and training providers may gain funded demand.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Federal firefighter-grant administrators must update guidance, applications, and award review to incorporate the new definitions and uses. Fire-department grant applicants must document that proposed equipment or programs address covered thermal-runaway fires. Federal grant accounts bear added costs to the extent awards shift or expand toward these purposes. Equipment vendors must show that products fit the covered suppression use.
Key Provisions
- Expands firefighter-grant uses to equipment involving covered lithium-ion cells or batteries.
- Adds thermal-runaway fire suppression as an eligible grant activity.
- Defines covered lithium-ion cells and batteries.
- Excludes specified cells or batteries already described in federal hazardous-materials rules.
- Defines thermal runaway as an uncontrolled heat increase from internal exothermic reactions.
- Funds suppression through the existing federal firefighter-assistance program.
- Requires grant administrators to apply the new technical definitions.
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
Expands federal firefighter-assistance grant eligibility to equipment and programs for suppressing thermal-runaway fires, including fires involving covered lithium-ion cells or batteries, and defines the relevant technologies.
Key Policy Areas
Firefighter Grants, Lithium-Ion Batteries, Fire Safety, Emergency Response, Thermal Runaway
Primary Purpose
Expands federal firefighter-assistance grant eligibility to equipment and programs for suppressing thermal-runaway fires, including fires involving covered lithium-ion cells or batteries, and defines the relevant technologies.
Policy Domains
Section 2 firefighter grants for thermal-runaway suppression
Identified Gains
- Fire departments seeking thermal-runaway equipment
- Firefighters responding to battery fires
- Emergency-response programs addressing lithium-ion fires
- Communities exposed to thermal-runaway fires
- Fire-equipment manufacturers
- Fire-service training providers
Identified Costs
- Federal firefighter-grant administrators
- Fire-department grant applicants
- Federal firefighter-grant accounts
- Battery-fire equipment vendors
- Grant compliance officers at recipient departments
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
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.
Emergency-response programs addressing lithium-ion fires, Fire departments seeking thermal-runaway equipment, Fire-department grant applicants
Federal firefighter-grant accounts, Federal firefighter-grant administrators
Communities exposed to thermal-runaway fires
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "firefighter"
- → Emergency responder suppressing a thermal-runaway fire
- "grant_recipient"
- → Eligible recipient under the federal firefighter-assistance grant program
- "grant_administrator"
- → Federal administrator reviewing covered equipment and program uses
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A rechargeable cell or battery using intercalation-compound electrodes without metallic lithium, excluding specified federally regulated cells and batteries.
An uncontrolled increase in cell temperature caused by exothermic reactions inside cells or batteries.
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