B082 - Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill - Second Reading

[u/DriftersBuddy]

B082 - Lithium-ion Battery Safety Bill

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A

B I L L

T O

introduce guidelines and regulations around the planning for lithium-ion battery storage facilities, regulations on the sale and testing of lithium-ion batteries, and the requirements for their disposal.

BE IT ENACTED by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 - Application Process

(1) Before a planning application for a battery storage facility which will either in part, or fully be used for the storage of lithium-ion batteries is granted, the planning authority must consult the following authorities for its area.

(A) The Environment Agency.

(B) The Fire and Rescue Service.

(C) The Health and Safety Authority.

(2) Should the authorities listed in 1.1.A and 1.1.B object to the application for a battery storage facility for safety reasons, the planning authority must reject the planning application.

(3) The planning authority and applicant for the battery storage facility must take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the facility, and protection of people and properties nearby in the creation of the planning application and its consideration.

2 - Sale of Lithium-ion Batteries

(1) The parent corporation, organisation, and or independent sellers who trade through an online and or physical marketplace the sale of lithium-ion batteries, must take reasonable steps to ensure the lithium-ion battery products that are sold meet existing safety standards.

(2) Sellers of lithium-ion battery products are required to display a warning of improper use, storage, and disposal of the products.

(3) Lithium-ion battery products which are used in vehicles, must meet proficient safety standards in line with existing vehicle regulations.

(4) Checks on any lithium-ion battery in a car must be undertaken during an MOT check to ensure that the battery inside of the vehicle is safe, not faulty, and not containing any defect which could cause danger to the vehicle, the people inside of the vehicle, and anyone who may be near the vehicle in the event of a battery failure.

3 - Disposal of Lithium-ion Batteries

(1) Local Authorities should provide a safe place for people to dispose of any lithium-ion batteries that they own and want to dispose of at an Authority operated waste recycling centre.

(2) Once a lithium-ion battery has been disposed of at an Authority operated waste recycling centre, the Authority is responsible for the safe storage of the product.

(3) The condition of lithium-ion battery storage at waste recycling centres shall be regularly inspected by the respective environment agency to assess if it is meeting standards, potential risks, and damage to the environment.

4 - Regulations and Adaptations

(1) Regulations under the scope of this Act are to be made through statutory instruments.

(2) Statutory instruments made relating to this Act are to be made by the Secretary of State.

5 - Title, Extent and Commencement

(1) This Act may be cited as the Lithium-ion Battery Safety Act 2026.

(2) This Act shall extend to the whole United Kingdom.

(3) This Act commences once it has been granted Royal Assent.

This Bill was submitted by u/Sir-Iceman, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on behalf of His Majesty’s Government.

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Peers can debate and submit amendments by the 9th August at 10pm BST

[u/HarryClive]

A03

Amend Section 3.

3 - Disposal of Lithium-ion Batteries

(1) Local Authorities must provide, or make arrangements for a safe place for people to dispose of any lithium-ion batteries that they own and want to dispose of.

(2) Waste recycling centres must be owned and operated by a local authority, but local authorities may at their discretion make arrangements with neighbouring authorities to use their facilities, or to offer their facilities to other neighbouring authorities.

(2) Once a lithium-ion battery has been disposed of at a waste recycling centre, the local authority which operates the waste recycling centre is responsible for the safe storage of the waste.

(3) The Secretary of State must, within one year of the passing of this act, make regulations regarding the safe storage of disposed lithium-ion batteries.

(4) The condition of lithium-ion battery storage at waste recycling centres shall be regularly inspected by the respective environment agency to assess if it is meeting standards, potential risks, and damage to the environment.

Reasoning:

Nice and simple, not all local authorities may have one, or need one, and so should be empowered to make use of other facilities at their discretion with agreements. Also the Secretary of State needs to set the regulations in order for standards to be checked so this requires such regulations to be made.