Bill · H.R. 7928· House(119-HR-7928)
Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 3/12/2026
- Last activity
- 3/13/2026 — Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- Sponsored by
- Dina Titus
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Thermal Runaway Reduction Act of 2026 focuses on improving the safety of transporting lithium-ion cells and batteries. It directs the Secretary of Transportation to update design tests and set a maximum state of charge of 30 percent for commercial transport. The bill also requires new guidance for handling damaged, defective, or recalled batteries and mandates reviews every five years. Additionally, it creates grant programs to study innovative suppression technologies and provides funding for fire departments to acquire specialized lithium-ion fire safety equipment.
Yes· 3 of 7
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+5
Funds environmental monitoring and runoff control to mitigate pollution after battery fire events.
Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster?+4
Provides critical fire safety equipment and funding to fire departments for hazardous battery fires.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+4
Increases safety of lithium-ion battery transport, reducing risk of fire for consumers.
The opposite
Would business owners be better off under this?-3
Imposes restrictive charge limits (30%) on commercial battery transport, potentially increasing operational costs.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Improved Safety Standards: The bill seeks to develop an impact test to help batteries withstand forces during accidents without entering thermal runaway (Section 3(1)).
-
Reduced Fire Risk: By limiting the state of charge to 30 percent for commercial transport, the bill aims to reduce the risk of thermal runaway (Section 3(2)).
-
Better Handling of Hazardous Waste: The bill requires regulations and guidance on the packaging, movement, and disposal of damaged, defective, or recalled batteries (Section 3(3)).
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Support for Emergency Responders: The bill establishes grants for fire departments to get equipment like thermal runaway blankets, portable suppression agents, and diagnostics tools (Section 5(a)).
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Environmental Protection: The bill provides for grants to fund environmental monitoring suites and runoff control for cleanup after thermal runaway events (Section 5(a)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Commercial Restrictions: Commercial transport of lithium-ion batteries will be restricted to a state of charge not exceeding 30 percent unless specific approval is granted by the Associate Administrator (Section 3(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+5Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+4
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+4
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+4
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners-3
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+3
- Healthcare
- Increases Research Funding+3
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves International Alliances+2
- 3/13/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- 3/12/2026
- 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.
- Introduced in House