Grant program for innovative thermal runaway suppression strategies

(a) Establishment The Administrator of the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration shall conduct a program to provide grants to eligible entities to test and study— (1) the effectiveness of innovative technologies and methods to suppress thermal runaway in lithium-ion cells or batteries transported under UN 3536 in commercial transport units; (2) the impact of the state of charge of a battery or cell being transported under UN 3536 on methods to suppress thermal runaway in lithium-ion cells or batteries; and (3) methods for emergency responders to verify the state of charge of a battery or cell being transported under UN 3536 experiencing thermal runaway as a result of a fire or crash during commercial transport. (b) Eligibility Facilities that specialize in fire suppression testing shall be eligible to receive grants under this section. (c) Prioritization In issuing grants under this section, the Administrator shall prioritize projects that test suppression technologies that— (1) do not contain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances; and (2) are cost effective. (d) Timing (1) Application period The Administrator shall— (A) finalize grant eligibility requirements and begin soliciting applications not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act; (B) provide 90 days for entities to submit to the Administrator applications for such a grant; (C) select recipients of grants under this section not later than 180 days after the date on which solicitation begins under subparagraph (A); and (D) in any case in which a deadline under subparagraph (A) or (C) is not met, submit to Congress a report containing any reasons either such deadline was not met. (2) Grant completion Each grant recipient shall conclude the project for which a grant is awarded not later than 18 months after funds are provided to such recipient. (e) Reporting requirements In carrying out the program under this section, the Administrator shall ensure that each grant recipient, upon conclusion of an activity funded by a grant under this section, submits to the Administrator a report on the findings of any tests conducted pursuant to such grant. (f) Recommendations Not later than 120 days after the receipt of all reports required under subsection (e), the Administrator shall review the findings submitted by grant awardees and submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing— (1) any findings related to the grant program under this section, including which fire suppression tools and techniques were found to be most effective at suppressing thermal runaway resulting from a lithium-ion cell or battery fire; (2) the impact of the state of charge of a battery on the techniques and tools studied under the grant program; (3) information on the best methods to verify the state of charge of a lithium-ion battery or cell after a nonconsumptive event and how that information can inform decisions about how to safely mitigate thermal runaway; and (4) recommendations on whether, based on such review, updated guidance or training of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is necessary. (g) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this section.