Lithium-ion vehicle batteries: emergencies: advisory group.

Removed a standalone requirement for 'a vehicle manufacturer that produces lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles' as an individual advisory group member. The group now only requires 'an organization that represents one or more vehicle manufacturers that produce lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles,' eliminating the duplicate/overlapping membership slot and fixing numbering errors in the list.

The document was reformatted from a formal enrolled bill (with clerk signatures, chapter number placeholder, and approval line) into a web page layout with navigation menus, sidebar links, version history, and metadata. No changes to the actual bill language or policy content.

Responsibility for convening and appointing members of the advisory group was transferred from the Secretary for Environmental Protection (CalEPA) to the Director of Emergency Services, aligning the work with emergency response rather than environmental regulation.

The deadline to convene the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Advisory Group was extended from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026, giving an additional six months.

A new advisory group member category was added: a member representing advanced recycling of electric vehicle batteries, with expertise in electric vehicle battery recovery and hazard mitigation in emergency response.

The advisory group's required output was narrowed. The Assembly version required the group to both submit policy recommendations to the Legislature (in compliance with Government Code Section 9795) and develop standards. The Senate version removes the policy recommendation requirement, leaving only the obligation to develop standards by July 1, 2028.

Assembly Member Lackey was added as principal coauthor of the bill.

The lead agency responsible for convening the advisory group and appointing its members changed from the Secretary for Environmental Protection to the Director of Emergency Services, shifting the bill's focus from environmental management toward emergency response.

The advisory group's review scope was narrowed from 'handling and disposal safety and management' to simply 'safety and management,' removing the explicit reference to handling and disposal.

Consultation partners were changed: removed consultation with battery recycling research institutions and the recycling industry; retained consultation with lithium-ion battery research institutions, electric and hybrid vehicle manufacturers, and state and local first responders.

The deadline to convene the Lithium-Ion Car Battery Advisory Group was extended from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026, giving an additional six months.

Several stakeholder categories were removed from the advisory group membership: the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, electronic waste recyclers or their representative organizations, automotive repair dealers or their representative organizations, environmental organizations specializing in waste reduction and recycling, and a representative of the energy storage industry.

The California Environmental Protection Agency was added as a required member category (alongside the Office of Emergency Services) on the advisory group.

The advisory group is now required to 'develop standards' in addition to submitting policy recommendations, and those outputs must be 'based on local, state, and national guidance and research.'

The advisory group's mandate was expanded from reviewing policies on 'handling and disposal' to 'handling and disposal safety and management,' and now explicitly covers specific emergency situations including battery fires, nonfire damage, submerged vehicle recovery, and roadway collisions.

Three new government entities were added as required advisory group members: the Office of Emergency Services, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and a certified unified program agency.

The advisory group must now consult with both state and local first responders, in addition to the previously listed universities, manufacturers, and recycling industry.

Universities and research institutions consulted by the group must have conducted research in battery recycling AND lithium-ion batteries (previously only battery recycling was specified).

A new membership category was added for 'a vehicle manufacturer that produces lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles,' distinct from the existing general vehicle manufacturer category.