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Office of the State Fire Marshal

Commission to Advance Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in Maryland

In 2024, Senate Bill 532/Chapter 949, House Bill 468/Chapter 950 - PDF the Commission to Advance Lithium-Ion Battery Safety in Maryland. The growing risk of  improper use, storage, and disposal of rechargeable batteries have contributed to a rapid increase in serious accidents nationwide and in Maryland. 

The Commission was formed to study lithium-ion battery safety uses and recommend ways to reduce risks, improve safety, and support responsible reuse and recycling across the state. They focused on the following best practices, standards, and guidelines related to lithium-ion batteries.

Guidelines

Fire prevention and safety

  • Preventing, detecting, and suppressing lithium-ion battery fires in:
    • Consumer products and transportation such as e-bikes, scooters, and vehicles
    • Utility scale energy storage systems, including review of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 855 standards for grid-scale storage
  • Preventing, detecting, and suppressing fires at battery recycling centers

Reuse and recycling

  • Safe reuse, recycling, and decommissioning
  • Extended producer responsibility, which would hold manufacturers accountable for battery end of life management

Training and public awareness

  • Training and education for first responders
  • Public education to improve awareness

Phases

The Commission’s process involved two primary phases: 

  • A fact-finding period in which members conducted research, received presentations from leading experts, and prepared the interim report. The report was  submitted to the Legislative Policy Committee on December 1, 2024.
  • A recommendation period focused on developing final recommendations and preparing the final Commission report - PDF - 1.77 MB. The Commission obtained a quorum and unanimously voted to approve the final report on November 25, 2025.

The Commission met regularly, held 19 meetings, heard from 17 experts across multiple topic areas, and conducted 4 site visits. 

Associated documents

Related information

Report a lithium-ion battery fire

Lithium-ion battery fires map and statistics