Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is not provided in the source material, though the law was enacted on October 6, 2025.
Working Group for Firefighter Gear in Battery Fires
This law requires the State Fire Marshal to create a working group that will study and recommend safety gear rules for firefighters responding to lithium-ion battery fires.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the State Fire Marshal, with help from the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, to form a working group until January 1, 2031.
- Asks the group to review new protective gear that limits exposure to lithium and other heavy metals.
- Directs the group to look at technology for cleaning personal protective equipment after use.
- Instructs the group to consider if different types of safety gear should be used for different kinds of lithium-ion battery fires.
- Requires the working group to study current methods for removing dangerous materials (decontamination) at fire scenes.
Who It Names or Affects
- The State Fire Marshal
- The Division of Occupational Safety and Health
- Members of the new working group
Terms To Know
- Lithium-ion battery fires
- Fires caused by rechargeable batteries.
- Personal protective equipment
- Gear worn to protect firefighters from heat, smoke, and dangerous chemicals.
Limits and Unknowns
- The working group must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by September 1, 2026.
- This requirement for the working group ends on January 1, 2031.
- The law states the membership is specified but does not list exactly who will be chosen in this summary.