AB-841
Health & Public Health

State Fire Marshal: personal protective equipment: battery fires.

Engrossed
CA
2025-2026 Regular Session
0
0
Track

Key Takeaways

  • Establishes a state working group to develop safety recommendations for firefighters responding to lithium-ion battery fires.
  • Requires comprehensive review of protective equipment to limit exposure to lithium and heavy metals during battery fires.
  • Mandates submission of safety recommendations to the Legislature by September 2026.
  • Addresses different protective equipment needs for various battery fire scenarios including vehicles and storage facilities.

Summary

Assembly Member Patel's legislation directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a specialized working group focused on personal protective equipment standards for lithium-ion battery fires, responding to increasing incidents of these hazards across California. The working group, developed in partnership with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, will include representatives from the State Board of Fire Services, academia, health and safety experts, and utility workforce labor organizations.

The working group's mandate encompasses reviewing current protective equipment capabilities and developing recommendations across several domains. These include evaluating the latest equipment technologies for limiting exposure to lithium and heavy metals, assessing cleaning methods for contaminated gear, analyzing whether different types of battery fires require specialized equipment, and examining on-scene decontamination practices. The group must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by September 1, 2026.

The legislation cites multiple recent incidents highlighting these emerging challenges, including a 2021 case where an Orange County fire captain entered disability retirement after experiencing renal failure following a battery facility fire. Additional events include a 2024 lithium-ion battery truck accident that closed Port of Los Angeles terminals and an eight-day battery storage facility fire in Otay Mesa requiring extended crew deployment. The bill's findings note that occupational exposure in firefighting was classified as a Group 1 known human carcinogen in 2022 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Next Step
Senate Committee
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Hearing scheduled for , 1021 O Street, Room 2200
Senate Governmental Organization Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Governmental Organization Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Vote on Assembly Floor
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AB 841 Patel Assembly Third Reading
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Do pass
Assembly Labor And Employment Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Labor And Employment Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Assembly Emergency Management Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Emergency Management Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor and Employment]
Introduced
Assembly Floor
Introduced
Read first time. To print.

Contacts

Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 9 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 2
Select All Legislators
Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Aisha WahabD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Darshana PatelD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Profile
Christopher CabaldonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Laura RichardsonD
Senator
Committee Member

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Darshana Patel
Darshana PatelD
California State Assembly Member
Co-Author
James Ramos
James RamosD
California State Assembly Member
40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (6/2/2025)

Latest Voting History

July 8, 2025
PASS
Senate Committee
Senate Governmental Organization Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
150015PASS

Key Takeaways

  • Establishes a state working group to develop safety recommendations for firefighters responding to lithium-ion battery fires.
  • Requires comprehensive review of protective equipment to limit exposure to lithium and heavy metals during battery fires.
  • Mandates submission of safety recommendations to the Legislature by September 2026.
  • Addresses different protective equipment needs for various battery fire scenarios including vehicles and storage facilities.

Get Involved

Act Now!

Email the authors or create an email template to send to all relevant legislators.

Introduced By

Darshana Patel
Darshana PatelD
California State Assembly Member
Co-Author
James Ramos
James RamosD
California State Assembly Member

Summary

Assembly Member Patel's legislation directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a specialized working group focused on personal protective equipment standards for lithium-ion battery fires, responding to increasing incidents of these hazards across California. The working group, developed in partnership with the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, will include representatives from the State Board of Fire Services, academia, health and safety experts, and utility workforce labor organizations.

The working group's mandate encompasses reviewing current protective equipment capabilities and developing recommendations across several domains. These include evaluating the latest equipment technologies for limiting exposure to lithium and heavy metals, assessing cleaning methods for contaminated gear, analyzing whether different types of battery fires require specialized equipment, and examining on-scene decontamination practices. The group must submit its recommendations to the Legislature by September 1, 2026.

The legislation cites multiple recent incidents highlighting these emerging challenges, including a 2021 case where an Orange County fire captain entered disability retirement after experiencing renal failure following a battery facility fire. Additional events include a 2024 lithium-ion battery truck accident that closed Port of Los Angeles terminals and an eight-day battery storage facility fire in Otay Mesa requiring extended crew deployment. The bill's findings note that occupational exposure in firefighting was classified as a Group 1 known human carcinogen in 2022 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

40% progression
Bill has passed all readings in its first house and is ready to move to the other house (6/2/2025)

Key Dates

Next Step
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Next Step
Senate Committee
Referred to the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations
Hearing scheduled for , 1021 O Street, Room 2200
Senate Governmental Organization Hearing
Senate Committee
Senate Governmental Organization Hearing
Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with the recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Vote on Assembly Floor
Assembly Floor
Vote on Assembly Floor
AB 841 Patel Assembly Third Reading
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Appropriations Hearing
Do pass
Assembly Labor And Employment Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Labor And Employment Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
Assembly Emergency Management Hearing
Assembly Committee
Assembly Emergency Management Hearing
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Labor and Employment]
Introduced
Assembly Floor
Introduced
Read first time. To print.

Latest Voting History

July 8, 2025
PASS
Senate Committee
Senate Governmental Organization Hearing
AyesNoesNVRTotalResult
150015PASS

Contacts

Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Not Contacted
Not Contacted
0 of 9 row(s) selected.
Page 1 of 2
Select All Legislators
Profile
Anna CaballeroD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Tim GraysonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
James RamosD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Profile
Megan DahleR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Kelly SeyartoR
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Aisha WahabD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Darshana PatelD
Assemblymember
Bill Author
Profile
Christopher CabaldonD
Senator
Committee Member
Profile
Laura RichardsonD
Senator
Committee Member