AB 588 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

State Fire Marshal: lithium battery working group: membership: funding.

Summary

Existing law requires the State Fire Marshal, commencing January 1, 2026, to adopt regulations that promote the fire and electrical safety of electric bicycles, powered mobility devices, and storage batteries, as specified. Existing law defines storage batteries for these purposes to include lithium batteries, as provided. This bill would require the Office of the State Fire Marshal to convene a lithium battery working group, composed of specified members selected by the State Fire Marshal, to identify those safety issues associated with lithium batteries and associated charging infrastructure installed or used near or within residential or commercial occupancies that have not already been addressed in the 2025 Edition of the California Building Standards Code, and to recommend potential solutions that will enhance building safety for the State Fire Marshal and other impacted agencies to consider, as provided. The bill would require the working group to deliver the initial research, findings, and recommendations on or before January 1, 2027. Existing law establishes the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund in the State Treasury. Existing law provides that moneys in the fund, which include building permit applicant fees, shall be available, upon appropriation, to the Office of the State Fire Marshal, among other state entities, for expenditure in carrying out various provisions relating to building and housing standards, as provided. This bill would make moneys in the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund available, upon appropriation, to support the working group. The bill would also appropriate an unspecified amount from the fund for specified purposes related to addressing building safety concerns associated with lithium batteries and associated charging infrastructure being installed or used near or within residential or commercial occupancies.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

03/19/25 - Amended Assembly → 04/09/25 - Amended Assembly · 5 edits · Apr 9, 2025

MODERATE

AB 588 was narrowed in scope by removing all CalWORKs-related provisions that would have repealed the requirement for unrelated adult males living with CalWORKs families to make financial contributions. The bill is now solely focused on establishing a lithium battery safety working group under the State Fire Marshal. A new funding purpose was also added for identifying practical, cost-effective solutions to mitigate lithium battery fire risks.

SCOPE

All provisions related to the Welfare and Institutions Code were removed, including the repeal of Section 11351.5 (which required unrelated adult males residing with CalWORKs families to make financial contributions), the provision barring appropriations under Section 15200 for implementing the act, and the state mandates reimbursement clause. The bill no longer touches public social services.

The bill's title and digest no longer reference 'public social services' or CalWORKs. It is now exclusively an act relating to fire safety.

The state-mandated local program designation changed from 'yes' to 'no,' because the CalWORKs provision that would have expanded eligibility and imposed costs on counties was removed.

FISCAL

A new item (6) was added to Section 13270(d) listing 'identifying practical, cost-effective solutions to reduce or mitigate risks unique to lithium battery fires' as a permitted use of appropriated funds from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund.

The appropriation designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' reflecting that the only remaining section (the fire safety working group) does include an appropriation, whereas the removed CalWORKs section had explicitly barred one.

02/12/25 - Introduced → 03/19/25 - Amended Assembly · 7 edits · Mar 19, 2025

MODERATE

AB 588 was dramatically expanded from a simple repeal of a CalWORKs provision (requiring unrelated adult males living with benefit-receiving families to contribute financially) into a bill that also establishes a Lithium Battery Safety Working Group under the State Fire Marshal. The new working group is tasked with identifying fire and electrical safety issues related to lithium batteries in residential and commercial buildings not yet covered by the 2025 California Building Standards Code, with initial findings due by January 1, 2027. An unspecified amount is appropriated from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund to support the group's operations, research, and development of potential building standards.

SCOPE

Entirely new Chapter 9 (Section 13270) added to the Health and Safety Code establishing a Lithium Battery Safety Working Group under the Office of the State Fire Marshal to address fire safety issues with lithium batteries and charging infrastructure in residential and commercial occupancies.

REQUIREMENT

The working group must identify safety issues not already addressed in the 2025 California Building Standards Code and recommend potential solutions including informational bulletins, guidance documents, educational and training materials, and voluntary or mandatory building standards.

ELIGIBILITY

Working group membership is specified to include the State Fire Marshal plus representatives from the Fire Districts Association of California, California Fire Chiefs Association, two from California Professional Firefighters, the California Building Standards Commission, a professor with lithium battery chemistry expertise (preferring a UC professor), local building departments, fire safety consultants, parking facility owners, commercial property owners, and apartment owners.

TIMELINE

The working group must deliver its initial research, findings, and recommendations on or before January 1, 2027.

FISCAL

An unspecified dollar amount is appropriated from the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund to pay operational costs of the working group, conduct research, develop and publish guidance documents, create educational and training materials, and formulate potential building standards related to lithium battery safety.

Section 18931.7 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to make Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund moneys available to the Office of the State Fire Marshal for carrying out the new lithium battery working group provisions, in addition to existing uses.

TECHNICAL

The bill's appropriation status changed from 'no' to 'yes' and state-mandated local program status changed from 'yes' to 'no' to reflect the new funding structure.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

May 7, 2025

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on E.M.

lower

Apr 21, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E.M. Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 10, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on E.M.

lower

Apr 9, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on E.M. Read second time and amended.

lower

Apr 1, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on E.M. pursuant to Assembly Rule 96.

lower

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Mar 19, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on HUM. S. Read second time and amended.

lower

Feb 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on HUM. S.

lower

Feb 13, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors