WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The U.S. Congress reintroduced a bill this week that would address the growing threat posed by lithium-ion battery fires, supporting a top priority of the commercial real estate sector to ensure public safety. With support from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International, a bipartisan group comprised of U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE), along with Representatives Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), and Nick Langworthy (R-NY), reintroduced the Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act. The bill would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to publish a consumer product safety standard for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in e-scooters, e-bikes and other micromobility devices to protect against the risk of fires caused by these batteries.
Unregulated lithium-ion batteries in e-mobility devices pose a dire fire safety risk, producing chemical fires that are particularly intense and difficult to extinguish. As an example, the New York City Fire Department reports rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have caused more than 850 fires in the city since 2021, resulting in more than 450 injuries and 34 deaths. The need for a nationwide safety standard became crucial, and this legislation attracted widespread, bipartisan support in Congress.
"Lithium-ion battery safety has rapidly become a top priority for property owners and managers across the country, as we're on the front lines of making sure that office buildings and other commercial spaces are kept safe," said Manuel Moreno, Chair and Chief Elected Officer of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International. "This legislation will help protect the safety of millions of people in the nation's commercial buildings as well as the safety of first responders who have to confront these intense chemical fires. This legislation will save lives."
BOMA International worked to raise the profile of the issue and assemble support in Congress, along with a wide coalition from fire fighters and fire chiefs to companies that rely heavily on micromobility devices such as DoorDash and Grubhub. For more information on the threats posed by unregulated lithium-ion batteries, BOMA International released a Policy Brief, "."
About BOMA International
The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International serves the entire commercial real estate community, including owners, managers, property professionals, and service providers of all commercial building types, including office, industrial, medical, corporate, government, and mixed-use. BOMA's mission is to advance a vibrant commercial real estate industry through advocacy, influence, and knowledge through a federation of 81 U.S. local associations and 18 global affiliates with over 20,000 members. For more info, visit boma.org.
Media Contact
Don Davis, BOMA International, 202-326-6323, [email protected], boma.org
Sam Lopez, BOMA International, 202-326-6337, [email protected], boma.org
SOURCE BOMA International
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