New York members of Congress are reintroducing legislation aimed at reducing fires caused by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries commonly found in e-bikes and scooters, Spectrum News NY1 has learned.

A similar bill won overwhelming House approval in the last session of Congress but failed to clear the Senate.

What You Need To Know

  • Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, plus Rep. Ritchie Torres are reintroducing legislation to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create federal standards for lithium-ion batteries, as New York continues to see a scourge of deadly fires caused by them

  • Since 2021, the rechargeable batteries have been blamed for more than 850 fires in New York City, resulting in 475 injuries and more than 30 deaths, per the FDNY

  • At the end of last year, lawmakers included the legislation in an early draft of a large spending bill that was needed to avoid a government shutdown

  • However, the battery legislation — along with other provisions unrelated to government funding — was stripped from the final bill after then-President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk demanded the spending bill be slimmed down

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, plus Rep. Ritchie Torres, are rolling out the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act, which would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create federal standards for the batteries, as New York continues to see a scourge of deadly fires caused by them.

The New York City Fire Department was an outspoken proponent of the legislation in the last Congress.

In a statement, Gillibrand said, “Far too many innocent lives have been lost in New York City and across the country to fires caused by faulty and improperly manufactured lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes and other micromobility devices.”

“Federal action is needed to protect consumers and our brave firefighters who are on the front lines of this new paradigm in fire prevention spurred by these unpredictable, and often times, very dangerous batteries,” Schumer added.

Since 2021, the rechargeable batteries have been blamed for more than 850 fires in New York City, resulting in 475 injuries and more than 30 deaths, according to data provided by the FDNY. Last year alone, there were more than 270 such fires, injuring nearly 100 people and killing six.

Last Congress, the House passed a version of the safety legislation with wide bipartisan support. In July, a Senate committee advanced the bill.

But the bill did not receive a vote in the full Senate. Some Democrats accused Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of holding things up. 

At the end of last year, lawmakers included the legislation in an early draft of a large spending bill that was needed to avoid a government shutdown. 

However, the battery legislation — along with other provisions unrelated to government funding — was stripped from the final bill after then President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk demanded the spending bill be slimmed down.

Whether the battery legislation will see action in a new, Republican-controlled Washington remains unclear.

“My colleagues and I fought throughout the last Congress to advance this legislation, and we will continue pushing it toward the finish line in the 119th — no matter the national political scene,” Torres said in a statement.