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May 6, 2025
Nyasha Howard
Secretary to the Council
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Secretary Howard:
Today, along with Councilmember s Pinto, Bonds, Frumin, Henderson, and Robert White, I am
introducing the “Micromobility Fire Safety Standards Act of 2025”. Please find enclosed a signed
copy of the legislation.
Electric bikes, electric scooters, and other electric micromobility devices provide residents and
visitors with a safe, convenient, and sustainable alternative to personal vehicle use. These devices
have proven to be extremely popular in the District. From November 2018 through March 2025,
there have been over 2 9 million trips on micromobility devices in the District, totaling over 38
million miles.1
Unfortunately, as electric mobility devices have become increasingly common, so too
have incidents where the lithium-ion batteries that power them experience a phenomenon called
“thermal runaway,” which can result in smoke, fire, the emission of harmful gasses, and even
explosions.2 In just 2022, the Fire Department of the City of New York investigated 220 fires
caused by lithium-ion batteries, in which there were 147 injuries and six deaths.3 The number of
deaths associated with lithium -ion battery fire s in New York City jumped to 18 fatalities the
1 Ride Report, Washington, DC (last visited April 29, 2025), https://public.ridereport.com/dc.
2 UL Standards & Engagement, E-Scooter & E-Bike Battery Fires (last visited April 29, 2025), https://ulse.org/e-
bikes#initiatives-info-wrapper.
3 New York City Council, Council Votes to Strengthen Fire Safety Related to E-Bikes and Lithium-ion Batteries
(March 2, 2023), https://council.nyc.gov/press/2023/03/02/2361/.
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following year before falling to six in 2024 after the city implemented new safety measures.4 Here
in the District, DC Fire and EMS noted eight incidents of lithium-ion battery-related fires in 2023.5
These incidents typically involve batteries or other electronic components that have not been
tested to meet applicable safety standards. Requiring that micromobility devices sold or rented
in the District comply with applicable safety standards is a simple step to protect residents and
visitors from the potential dangers of electric micromobility devices. Some cities—including New
York City, NY,6 San Franciso, CA,7 and Hoboken, NJ8—have already implemented safety standards
regarding the sale, rental, and storage of micromobility device batteries .
It is imperative that the District proactively protect residents and visitors from the rare, but
potentially deadly, risks posed by unregulated micromobility device s. The Micromobility Fire
Safety Standards Act of 2025 would take the common-sense approach of requiring that
micromobility devices and batteries manufactured, distributed, sold, leased, or rented in the
District be certified to meet applicable safety standards (i.e., UL 2849, UL 2272, and UL 2271) by
a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory. Considering the utility and popularity of these
devices, everyone should be confident that any device purchased or rented in the District is safe
to operate, store, and charge.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Charles Allen, Ward 6
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation & the Environment
4 City of New York, FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker Announces Significant Progress in the Battle Against
Lithium-Ion Battery Fires (January 8, 2025), https://www.nyc.gov/site/fdny/news/03-25/fdny-commissioner-
robert-s-tucker-significant-progress-the-battle-against-lithium-ion#/0.
5 Jacqueline Quynh, Lithium Batteries: Deadly problem for big cities, WUSA9 (March 4, 2024),
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/dc/lithium-batteries-deadly-problem/65-23283476-b866-4c3b-
b1ba-edda1c0998be.
6 See infra note 4.
7 Lyanne Melendez, San Francisco to set new rules for e-bikes, scooters powered by lithium-ion batteries,
ABC7 (February 19, 2025). https://abc7news.com/san-francisco-regulations-mobility-devices-lithium-ion-
batteries-e-bikes/14428689/.
8 City of Hoboken, Hoboken Fire Department to Implement New Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Safety
Laws(February 25, 2025), https://www.hobokennj.gov/news/hoboken-fire-department-to-implement-new-
lithium-ion-battery-fire-safety-laws.
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_____________________________ _____________________________ 1
Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 2
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_____________________________ ____________________________ 5
Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Matthew Frumin 6
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_____________________________ _____________________________ 9
Councilmember Christina Henderson Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 10
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A BILL 14
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 19
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To require that electric bicycles, electric mobility devices, and traction batteries manufactured, 24
distributed, sold, or offered for lease or rent in the District meet certain safety standards. 25
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 27
act may be cited as the “Micromobility Fire Safety Standards Act of 2025”. 28
Sec. 2. Definitions. 29
(a) For the purposes of this act, the term: 30
(1) “Certification” means the attestation by a Certification Body, indicated by the 31
Certification Body’s certification mark on the equipment, device, or product, that the equipment, 32
device, or product has been evaluated , tested, and found to conform to the standards specified in 33
section 3. 34
(2) “Certification Body” means an independent third-party organization providing 35
certification for micromobility products that: 36
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(A) Is recognized by OSHA as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory; 37
and 38
(B) Has received ISO/IEC 17065 accreditation from an independent 39
accreditation body that is a member of the International Accreditation Forum. 40
(3) “Certification Mark” means a mark of conformity owned by a Certification 41
Body and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office ( “USPTO”) that is visible and 42
affixed to a certified equipment, device, or product. 43
(4) “Electric Bicycle” or “e-bike” means a vehicle with: 44
(A) A post-mounted seat or saddle; 45
(B) Two or three wheels that are in contact with the ground; 46
(C) Fully operative pedals for human propulsion; and 47
(D) One or more electric motors to either assist the rider when pedaling or 48
provide motive power to the wheels when the rider is not pedaling. 49
(5) “Micromobility device” means any electric bicycle, electric scooter (“ e-50
scooter”), or any other type of electric mobility device. 51
(6) “Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory” or “NRTL” means an organization 52
that meets the qualifications provided in 29 CFR 1910.7(b) and is Recognized as an NRTL by the 53
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration ’s (“OSHA”) NRTL 54
program. 55
(7) “Electric mobility device” or “e -mobility device” means a mobility device 56
intended for a single rider with a rechargeable electric drive train that propels the rider, and which 57
may be provided with a handle for grasping while riding, regardless of whether the device is self-58
balancing or if the rider may or may not be seated. 59
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(8) “Traction Battery” means a rechargeable battery used to power the electric 60
motors of a micromobility device. 61
Sec. 3. Requirements for manufacturer, distribution, sale, lease, rent of micromobility and 62
traction batteries. 63
(a) All micromobility devices, and traction batteries for such devices , that are 64
manufactured, distributed, sold, or offered for lease or rent in the District shall meet the following 65
safety standards: 66
(1) Electric bicycles shall be evaluated, tested and certified to UL 2849 and bear 67
the mark of a certification body; 68
(2) E-Mobility Devices shall be evaluated, tested and certified to UL 2272 and bear 69
the mark of a certification body; and 70
(3) Traction batteries for use in micromobility devices shall be evaluated, tested and 71
certified to UL 2271 and bear the mark of the certifying body. 72
(b) Evaluation, testing, and certification of any standard listed in paragraph (1) of this 73
section shall be performed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory with that standard 74
included within its scope of recognition under the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory 75
program. 76
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement. 77
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal impact 78
statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved 79
October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 80
Sec. 5. Effective date. 81
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This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 82
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30 -day period of congressional review as 83
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 84
1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1 -206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 85
Columbia Register. 86