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Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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A BILL 4
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 9
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To amend the District of Columbia Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation and Safety Act of 1984 14
to require that electric bicycles, electric mobility devices, and traction batteries 15
manufactured, distributed, sold, or offered for lease or rent in the District meet certain 16
safety standards ; to amend the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925 to make 17
conforming amendments; to amend the Department of Transportation Establishment Act 18
of 2002 to empower the Director of the District Department of Transportation to develop 19
policies for the safe use of electric bicycles, motorized bicycles, and electric mobility 20
devices; to amend Section 3399 of Title 24 of the District of Columbia Municipal 21
Regulations to make conforming amendments; and to amend Section 9901 of Title 18 of 22
the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations to make conforming amendments. 23
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 25
act may be cited as the “Micromobility Fire Safety Standards Amendment Act of 2026”. 26
Sec. 2. The District of Columbia Comprehensive Bicycle Transportation and Safety Act of 27
1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5 -179; 32 DCR 764), is amended by adding new 28
sections 203 to read as follows: 29
“Sec. 203. Requirements for manufacturer, distribution, sale, lease, rent of micromobility 30
and traction batteries. 31
“(a) For the purposes of this section, the term: 32
Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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“(1) “Certification” means the attestation by a Certification Body, indicated by a 33
certification mark on the equipment, device, or product, that the equipment, device, or product has 34
been evaluated, tested, and found to conform to the standards specified in section 3. 35
“(2) “Certification body” means an independent third-party organization providing 36
certification for micromobility devices that: 37
“(A) Is recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety 38
and Health Administration (“OSHA”) as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory; or 39
“(B) Has received ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation from an independent 40
accreditation body that is a member of the International Accreditation Forum. 41
“(3) “Certification mark” means a mark of conformity owned by a Certification 42
Body and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ( “USPTO”) that is visible and 43
affixed to a product that has received certification. 44
“(4) “Electric bicycle” or “e -bike” shall have the same meaning as provided in 45
section 2(6A) of the District of Columbia Traffic Act , 1925, approved March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 46
1119; D.C. Official Code § 50-2201.02(6A). 47
“(5) “Electric mobility device” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 48
2(6B) of the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925, approved March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1119; D.C. 49
Official Code § 50-2201.02(6B). 50
“(6) “Micromobility device” means any electric bicycle or electric mobility device. 51
“(7) “Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory” means an organization that meets 52
the qualifications provided in 29 C.F.R. § 1910.7(b) and is recognized as a Nationally Recognized 53
Testing Laboratory (“NRTL”) by OSHA’s NRTL program. 54
Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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“(8) “SFD operating company” shall have the same meaning as provided in section 55
2(14C) of the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925, approved March 3, 1925 (43 Stat. 1119; D.C. 56
Official Code § 50–2201.02(14C)). 57
“(9) “Traction battery” means a rechargeable battery used to power the electric 58
motors of a micromobility device. 59
“(b) All micromobility devices, and traction batteries for such devices , that are 60
manufactured, distributed, sold, or offered for lease or rent in the District shall meet the following 61
safety standards: 62
“(1) Electric bicycles shall be evaluated, tested , and certified to UL 2849 or EN 63
15194 and bear the certification mark; 64
“(2) Electric mobility devices shall be evaluated, tested, and certified to UL 2272 65
and bear the certification mark; and 66
“(3) Traction batteries for use in micromobility devices shall be evaluated, tested , 67
and certified to UL 2271 or EN 5064 and bear the certification mark. 68
“(c) Notwithstanding subsection ( b) of this section , a micromobility device or traction 69
batteries may not display a certification mark if: 70
“(1)(A) The micromobility device or the traction battery is offered for rental or 71
lease by an SFD operating company or by the Capital Bikeshare program; and 72
“(B) The SFD operating company or the Capital Bikeshare program has 73
provided documentation to DDOT establishing that the electric bicycle, e lectric mobility device, 74
or traction battery meets the applicable safety standard as described in subsection ( b) of this 75
section; or 76
Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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“(2) The micromobility device is being offered for a secondhand sale. 77
“(c) Evaluation, testing, and certification of any standard listed in subsection (b) of this 78
section shall be performed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory with that standard 79
included within its scope of recognition under the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory 80
program.”. 81
Sec. 3. Section 2 of the District of Columbia Traffic Act, 1925, approved March 3, 1925 82
(43 Stat. 1119; D.C. Official Code § 50-2201.02), is amended as follows: 83
(a) Paragraph (6A) is redesignated as paragraph (6B). 84
(b) A new paragraph (6A) is added to read as follows: 85
“(6A) Electric bicycle” or “e-bike” means a vehicle with: 86
“(A) A post-mounted seat or saddle; 87
“(B) Two or 3 wheels that are in contact with the ground; 88
“(C) Fully operative pedals for human propulsion; and 89
“(D) One or more electric motors to either assist the rider when pedaling or 90
provide motive power to the wheels when the rider is not pedaling.”. 91
(b) Paragraph (6B)(A) is amended to read as follows: 92
“(A) “Electric mobility device” means a mobility device with a 93
rechargeable electric drive train that propels the rider, and which may be provided with a handle 94
for grasping while riding, regardless of whether the device is self-balancing or if the rider may or 95
may not be seated.”. 96
Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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Sec 4. Section 4(a)(1)(K) of the Department of Transportation Establishment Act of 2002, 97
effective May 21, 2002 (D.C. Law 14-137; D.C. Official Code § 50-921.04(a)(1)(k)), is amended 98
to read as follows: 99
“(K) Develop policies and programs to encourage and provide for the safe 100
use of bicycles, electric bikes, motorized bicycles, and electric mobility devices, as those terms are 101
defined in section 2 of the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, approved March 3, 1925 (43 102
Stat. 1119; D.C. Official Code § 50 -2201.02), for recreation, commercial use, and work-related 103
travel, including planning, developing, operating, and regulating a Bicycle Sharing program, and 104
administering the Bicycle Sharing Fund established by section 9f to fund a Bicycle Sharing 105
program;”. 106
Sec. 5. Section 3399 of Title 24 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (24 107
DCMR § 3399) is amended by striking the phrase “Electric mobility device – A device weighing 108
less than seventy -five (75) pounds that has an electric motor, is solely powered by the electric 109
motor or human power, is designed to transport only one (1) person in a standing or seated position, 110
where the rider is not enclosed, and is no greater than twenty -four (24) inches wide and fifty-five 111
(55) inches long, but does not include a motorized bicycle, personal mobility device, motorcycle, 112
or moped ” and inserting the phrase “ “Electric mobility device” – a mobility device with a 113
rechargeable electric drive train that propels the rider, and which may be provided with a handle 114
for grasping while riding, regardless of whether the device is self-balancing or if the rider may or 115
may not be seated” in its place. 116
Sec. 6. Section 9901 of Title 18 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (18 117
DCMR § 9901), is amended as follows: 118
Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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(a) Strike the phrase “Electric mobility device – a device weighing less than seventy -five 119
(75) pounds that has an electric motor, is solely powered by the electric motor or human power, is 120
designed to transport only one (1) person in a standing or seated position, where the rider is not 121
enclosed, and is no greater than twenty -four (24) inches wide and fifty -five (55) inches long, but 122
does not include a motorized bicycle, personal mobility device, motorcycle, moped, or motor -123
driven cycle” and insert the phrase “ “Electric mobility device” – a mobility device intended for 124
a single rider with a rechargeable electric drive train that propels the rider, and which may 125
be provided with a handle for grasping while riding, regardless of whether the device is 126
self- balancing or if the rider may or may not be seated” in its place. 127
(b) Strike the phrase “The term “motor vehicle” shall not include road rollers, farm tractors, 128
vehicles propelled only upon stationary rails or tracks, electric personal assistive mobility devices, 129
and battery-operated wheelchairs when operated by a handicapped person at speeds not exceeding 130
10 miles per hour” and insert the phrase “The term “motor vehicle” shall not include road rollers, 131
farm tractors, vehicles propelled only upon stationary rails or tracks, electric mobility devices, and 132
battery-operated wheelchairs when operated by a handicapped person at speeds not exceeding 10 133
miles per hour” in its place. 134
Sec. 7. Fiscal impact statement. 135
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 136
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 137
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 138
Sec. 8. Effective date. 139
Committee Print
B26-0244
Committee on Transportation and the Environment
July 8, 2026
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This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 140
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30 -day period of congressional review as 141
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 142
1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 143