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
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.
Assessments
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.