March 12, 2026
Ms. Titus introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to issue certain regulations with respect to the safe transportation of lithium-ion cells or batteries, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Firefighter Lithium-ion Awareness and Readiness Enhancement Act
or the FLARE Act
.
Sec. 2. Increasing access to thermal runaway suppression tools
Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (15 U.S.C. 2229) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
by redesignating paragraph (9) as paragraph (11);
(B)
by redesignating paragraphs (7) and (8) as paragraphs (8) and (9), respectively;
(C)
by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
(7) Lithium-ion cell or battery
The term lithium-ion cell or battery—
(A)
means a rechargeable electrochemical cell or battery in which the positive and negative electrodes are both intercalation compounds constructed with no metallic lithium in either electrode; but
(B)
does not include a cell or battery described in subsections (c) and (g)(2) of section 173.185 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations.; and
(D)
by inserting after paragraph (9) (as so redesignated) the following:
(10) Thermal runaway
The term thermal runaway means an uncontrolled increase of cell temperature caused by exothermic reactions inside cells and batteries, including lithium-ion cells or batteries.;
(2)
in subsection (c)(3)(A)—
(A)
in clause (iv) by striking or
at the end;
(B)
in clause (v) by striking the period at the end and inserting , including lithium-ion cells or batteries; or
; and
(C)
by adding at the end the following:
(vi)
suppressing fires resulting from thermal runaway.; and
(3)
in subsection (d)(3)—
(A)
by redesignating subparagraphs (E) as subparagraph (F); and
(B)
by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
(E)
To fund programs to suppress fires resulting from thermal runaway.