FLARE Act

Bill Summary: HR 7929 - FLARE Act

Overview

Bill Title: Firefighter Lithium-ion Awareness and Readiness Enhancement Act (FLARE Act)
Session: 119th Congress
Jurisdiction: United States
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (Introduced March 12, 2026)

The FLARE Act is a targeted piece of legislation designed to enhance the capabilities of emergency responders in dealing with the specific dangers posed by lithium-ion battery fires. It seeks to update federal fire prevention law to explicitly recognize and fund the suppression of "thermal runaway" events.

Main Purpose and Intent

The primary goal of the FLARE Act is to modernize the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to address the evolving technological landscape of energy storage. As lithium-ion batteries become more prevalent in electric vehicles, handheld electronics, and home energy systems, firefighters face unique risks—specifically thermal runaway, where a battery enters an uncontrollable self-heating cycle that is difficult to extinguish with traditional methods.

Key Provisions

The bill implements three primary changes to Section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974:

• New Technical Definitions: It establishes formal legal definitions for:
  • Lithium-ion cell or battery: Specialized rechargeable electrochemical cells (excluding certain types regulated under Department of Transportation standards).
  • Thermal runaway: Defined as an uncontrolled increase in cell temperature caused by exothermic reactions inside cells and batteries.
• Expanded Scope of Protection: The bill amends the law to explicitly include the suppression of fires resulting from thermal runaway as a priority for fire prevention and control efforts.
• Funding Authorization: It adds a specific provision to authorize funding for programs dedicated to suppressing thermal runaway fires. This ensures that federal resources can be legally allocated to procure specialized equipment and training for firefighters.

Who is Affected?

• Firefighters and First Responders: They stand to benefit from increased access to specialized suppression tools and training tailored to chemical fires.
• Federal Agencies: Agencies responsible for fire prevention and control will have a broadened mandate and clearer definitions for allocating resources.
• The General Public: Increased readiness for lithium-ion fire suppression potentially reduces property damage and increases safety in residential and commercial areas where these batteries are common.

Procedural Status

The bill was introduced on March 12, 2026, and has been referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology for further review and consideration.