[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 83 (Tuesday, May 14, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3031-H3032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SETTING CONSUMER STANDARDS FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES ACT
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1797) to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to
promulgate a consumer product safety standard with respect to
rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility devices, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1797
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Setting Consumer Standards
for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act''.
SEC. 2. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY STANDARD FOR CERTAIN
BATTERIES.
(a) Consumer Product Safety Standard Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission shall promulgate, under section 553 of title 5,
United States Code, a final consumer product safety standard
for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility
devices, including electric bicycles and electric scooters,
to protect against the risk of fires caused by such
batteries.
(2) Inclusion of related equipment.--The standard
promulgated under paragraph (1) shall include requirements
with respect to equipment related to or used with
rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in micromobility
devices, including battery chargers, charging cables,
external terminals on battery packs, external terminals on
micromobility devices, and free-standing stations used for
recharging.
(b) CPSC Determination of Scope.--In promulgating the
standard under subsection (a), the Commission shall determine
the types of products subject to the standard and shall
ensure that such products are--
(1) within the jurisdiction of the Commission; and
(2) reasonably necessary to include to protect against the
risk of fires.
(c) Modifications.--At any time after the promulgation of
the standard under subsection (a), the Commission may,
through a rulemaking under section 553 of title 5, United
States Code, modify the requirements of the standard.
(d) Treatment of Standard.--A standard promulgated under
this section, including a modification of such standard,
shall be treated as a consumer product safety rule
promulgated under section 9 of the Consumer Product Safety
Act (15 U.S.C. 2058).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1797, the Setting Consumer
Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act.
It is important that the House pass this legislation because when
lithium-ion batteries are poorly made--usually ones that come from
China, I might add--lack adequate safety standards, are charged
improperly, or are damaged, they are prone to ignite a fire.
The associated fires may be accompanied by explosions and the release
of toxic gas, causing significant injuries to consumers. We cannot let
that happen.
As these micromobility devices have risen in popularity, the use of
lithium-ion batteries has increased, as has the use of counterfeit or
unsafe batteries coming from China, creating the need for a Federal
safety standard.
H.R. 1797 would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to
issue a consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion
batteries used in micromobility devices to protect against the risk of
fires.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Garbarino and Torres, and others
from New York such as Representative Clarke, and all other Members, for
leading this important bipartisan effort to protect citizens and first
responders.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this necessary piece of
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 1797, the Setting
Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act.
This bill will protect Americans from fires from lithium-ion
batteries. It requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create
a safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in
micromobility devices, like electric bicycles and scooters.
Fires caused by faulty or misused batteries are increasing throughout
our Nation. As just one example, between 2019 and 2023, the Fire
Department of the City of New York reported more than 400 fires, 300
injuries, and 12 deaths from fires caused by lithium-ion batteries in
New York City alone.
Just a few weeks ago, two people and a cat had to be rescued from a
Bridgewater, New Jersey, apartment, not far from my district, because
of a fire caused by an electric bicycle battery. After all of these
accidents, right now, there is no Federal standard to ensure the
products on the market are safe.
As electric bikes and scooters grow in popularity, we must act to
guarantee a strong Federal safety standard for lithium-ion batteries.
Consumers deserve to feel confident that the products that they see for
sale are thoroughly tested and safe, and this legislation would do just
that.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres), the
main sponsor of this bill, for his leadership on this issue. I also
thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) for championing this
bill in our committee.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres), the sponsor of this bill.
Mr. TORRES of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my
bipartisan legislation titled Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-
Ion Batteries Act.
I am grateful for the support of Chair Rodgers, Ranking Member
Pallone, and all the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. I am
also grateful for the partnership of Congress Members Yvette Clarke and
Andrew Garbarino.
At the core of our legislative progress has been the indefatigable
advocacy of the FDNY, the Nation's premier fire department.
The sheer speed and scale of the destruction that a lithium-ion
battery fire can bring to communities like mine is nothing short of
staggering. In the Bronx, we saw one of our few neighborhood
supermarkets, 2096 Grand Concourse, reduced to complete rubble at the
hands of a five-alarm fire caused by a malfunctioning lithium-ion
battery.
Lithium-ion battery fires are happening with greater frequency and
ferocity in America. Indeed, New York City, in particular, has emerged
as the epicenter of lithium-ion battery fires, which have grown
exponentially, from more than 30 in 2019 to more than 40 in 2020, to
more than 100 in 2021, to more than 200 in 2022. In the span of just 4
years, America's largest city has seen a 900 percent surge in lithium-
ion batteries, creating an unprecedented crisis in fire safety.
Poorly manufactured lithium-ion batteries, largely imported from
China, are hidden ticking time bombs waiting to detonate in American
homes and communities. The fire hazard here has become too glaring to
ignore.
[[Page H3032]]
The House of Representatives is poised to pass bipartisan legislation
that would finally empower the Consumer Product Safety Commission to
set long-overdue mandatory safety standards for the manufacturing of
lithium-ion batteries in e-mobility devices. In passing legislation so
urgently needed, we are upholding our most solemn obligation: public
safety.
{time} 1500
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is correct, the sponsor of
the bill. We are upholding this very important need. We are moving
forward because we have a chairman and a ranking member that worked
very hard to address these issues and move them forward. Let's get this
done as soon as possible.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this particular bill, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, I don't think I can stress enough the importance of this
bill as Mr. Torres has related. These fires and these problems are
getting worse all the time, so we have to set a standard.
I urge my colleagues on a bipartisan, unanimous basis to support this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I encourage a ``yes'' vote on
this particular bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 1797, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________