WASHINGTON, DC –
U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), along with Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), and Nick Langworthy (R-NY), reintroduced, on February 4, legislation which would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create federal standards for lithium-ion batteries, as fires from such batteries have become widespread in New York.
According to NYC Fire Department (FDNY), rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 850 fires since 2021, resulting in more than 450 injuries, 34 deaths & damage to hundreds of structures. In 2024, there were 279 e-bike and e-mobility device battery fires in NYC, a dramatic increase from the 44 that occurred in 2020, injuring nearly 100 people and killing six.
“The Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act is a commonsense solution that brings us one step closer to stopping preventable fires”, said Gillibrand.
“We are in a time where technology is outpacing federal safety action in many ways, moving faster than the measures we need to keep the public safe, and there might be no better example of this dilemma than with the cheap, China-made lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes, e-scooters and other devices,” said Schumer.
Last year, the House passed a version of the safety legislation with wide bipartisan support, but the bill didn’t receive a vote in the full Senate.
