An act to amend Section 18931.7 of, and to add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 13270) to Part 2 of Division 12 of, the Health and Safety Code, relating to fire safety, and making an appropriation therefor.
AB 588 would require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to convene a lithium battery safety working group focused on fire and building safety issues associated with lithium batteries and related charging infrastructure in or near residential and commercial occupancies. The group would be tasked with identifying safety concerns not already addressed in the 2025 California Building Standards Code and recommending possible solutions, which could include informational bulletins, guidance documents, training materials, and both voluntary and mandatory building standards.
The bill also directs the working group to include a broad mix of stakeholders, including fire service representatives, the Building Standards Commission, a lithium battery chemistry expert, local building departments, property owners, electrical professionals, and fire safety consultants. The group must establish a timeline and submit its initial research, findings, and recommendations by January 1, 2027. In addition, the bill appropriates an unspecified amount from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund to support the group’s operations, research, publications, training, and possible future standards development.
AB 588 would add a new chapter to the Health and Safety Code creating a formal lithium battery safety working group under the State Fire Marshal and would amend Section 18931.7 to authorize use of the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund for this purpose. The bill does not itself adopt new building standards, but it creates a process that could lead to future regulatory or code changes affecting residential and commercial buildings, parking facilities, apartments, and other occupancies where lithium batteries are stored or charged. It also makes an appropriation from an existing state fund, increasing state spending authority for fire-safety research and related implementation work.
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill. It received a unanimous 7-0 do pass recommendation in committee and was advanced with a recommendation to the consent calendar, indicating little visible opposition at that stage. The bill’s framing around fire prevention, research, and stakeholder collaboration appears to have broad appeal, especially given growing concern about lithium battery fires and charging safety.
There is no recorded committee transcript in the provided materials, so specific arguments for or against the bill are not available. The main potential points of contention are likely fiscal and regulatory rather than conceptual: the bill makes an appropriation from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund, and it contemplates possible future mandatory building standards, which could raise concerns among property owners, parking facility operators, apartment owners, and other regulated parties about cost, compliance burdens, and the scope of any later recommendations. The inclusion of both fire-safety stakeholders and industry/property representatives suggests the bill was designed to balance safety concerns with practical implementation issues.