Latimer’s Bill ... would: Requires Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with industry, fire fighters and standards experts to issue final rules within 2 years governing EV and hybrid battery safety, including uniform firefighter access to and placement of battery cells, incorporating technology to suppress "thermal runaway", and designing safeguards to permit adequate time to escape the passenger compartment during a battery fire.
Enact legislation requiring federal regulators to set EV and hybrid battery safety standards that reduce fire risk and improve occupant escape and firefighter response.
Occurrences
I 119TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6948 To amend title 49, United States Code, to require each new electric and hybrid vehicle to be equipped with technology that allows the timely extinguishment of an electric vehicle battery fire, and for other purposes.
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require each new electric and hybrid vehicle to be equipped with technology that allows the timely extinguishment of an electric vehicle battery fire, and for other purposes.
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall promulgate a final motor vehicle standard to mitigate unreasonable risk of fire, explosion, reignition, stranded energy, thermal runaway, fire breaching the passenger compartment, loss of electrical power, and any other safety risk related to the battery used in any new electric or new hybrid vehicle.
This bipartisan bill addresses all of those issues, requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation standards for battery safety...
Rep. Latimer Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Address Electric Vehicle Battery Fires... introduced the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Safety Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation focused on diminishing the risk of injury and death from battery fires in electric and hybrid vehicle accidents and supporting firefighters' ability to extinguish such fires safely and effectively when they occur.
Evidence
The bill page shows Rep. George Latimer as sponsor, introduced on 2026-01-06, referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and still tracked as Introduced. The actions list contains only the introduction and referral entries.
In a House floor statement, Latimer said he was introducing legislation to protect drivers from dangerous electric vehicle battery fires and identified H.R. 6948 as the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Safety Act of 2026.
Congress.gov still lists H.R. 6948 as introduced by Rep. George Latimer, with the latest action on January 6, 2026 being referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill page shows the status remains Introduced and no later actions are listed.
Assessments
George Latimer sponsored H.R. 6948 and publicly introduced the EV and hybrid battery safety proposal, but the available congressional record shows only introduction and committee referral. There is no evidence of enactment or final federal standards, so the promise was not fulfilled despite a real legislative attempt.
Latimer materially attempted the promise by sponsoring H.R. 6948, the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Safety Act of 2026, and publicly introducing it in the House. But the bill remains only introduced and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with no passage, enactment, or federal regulator standards in force. Because the promised outcome was enactment of legislation requiring federal EV and hybrid battery safety standards, the promise has not been delivered, though the sponsorship warrants an effort badge.