Plain English Breakdown
The official text states funding is available 'upon appropriation,' meaning it has not been guaranteed yet and depends on future legislative action.
Creating a Working Group on Lithium Battery Safety
This law creates a new group to study fire safety risks from lithium batteries and charging equipment in buildings that are not covered by current rules, using money from an existing state fund.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the Office of the State Fire Marshal to start a lithium battery working group with members selected by the State Fire Marshal.
- Asks the group to find safety problems with lithium batteries and charging equipment in homes or businesses that current building rules do not cover.
- Directs the group to suggest ways to make buildings safer for the State Fire Marshal and other agencies to consider.
- Sets a deadline of January 1, 2028, for the group to finish its first report with research and recommendations.
- Allows money from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund to pay for this work if approved by lawmakers.
Who It Names or Affects
- The Office of the State Fire Marshal
- Members selected by the State Fire Marshal to join the working group
- Other state agencies that may consider new safety recommendations
Terms To Know
- Lithium battery
- A type of rechargeable power source included in existing laws about storage batteries.
- Building Standards Code
- The official rules that say how buildings must be built and maintained for safety, specifically the 2025 Edition mentioned here.
- Revolving Fund
- A pool of money in the state treasury from building permit fees used to pay for specific government tasks related to building standards.
Limits and Unknowns
- The exact amount of money set aside is not specified.
- Funding depends on a future approval by lawmakers (appropriation).
- It is unclear how long it will take for new safety rules to appear after the report.