HB 291 — Personal Mobility Device Battery Safety Standards

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 291 2025 A bill to be entitled An act relating to personal mobility device battery safety standards;

creatingamending s.

316.2067,403.7192, F.S.;

providing a short title;

providing legislative intent;

requiringprohibiting thatthe certainsale batteriesof bea personal mobility device using a battery that is not certified as meeting a specified ingress protection standard;

requiringproviding manufacturers,penalties; distributors, or operators of a personal mobility device to provide proof of such battery certification in certain circumstances;

requiring the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to coordinate with local governmental entities for compliance purposes;

authorizing the department to take certain enforcement actions;

prohibiting the sale, shipment, operation, or charging of certain personal mobility devices;

providing for the forfeiture of noncompliant personal mobility devices;

providing civil penalties;

providing severability;

SectionParagraphs 316.2067,(d), (e), and (f) of subsection (1) of section 403.7192, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as paragraphs (e), (f), and (g), respectively, subsections (9) and (10) are renumbered as subsections (10) and (11), respectively, a new paragraph (d) is createdadded to subsection (1), and a new subsection (9) is added to that section, to read:

316.2067403.7192 PersonalBatteries; mobility device batteries;

ingressrequirements Pagefor 1consumer, ofmanufacturers, 3and CODING:sellers;

penalties.— (1) As used in this section, the term:

(d) "Personal mobility device" means a small, lightweight vehicle powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery designed to transport only one person, such as an electric bicycle, electric skateboard, or electric scooter.

(9)(a) A person who engages in the business of, serves in Page 1 of 2 CODING:

hb291-00hb291-01-c1 F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HBCS/HB 291 2025 the capacity of, or acts as a commercial seller of personal mobility devices may not sell any personal mobility device using a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is not certified by a recognized certification organization as meeting an internationally accepted ingress protection requirements;standard for electrical enclosures that provide protection against the effects of temporary submersion in liquid up to a depth of 1 meter.

civilA penalties.—battery (1)that This section may be cited as the "Florida E-Scooter and E-Bike Battery Safety Act." (2) It is theIPX6 intentcertified of the Legislature to enhance public safety and ensure the environmental resilience of personal mobility devices in thisaccordance statewith byInternational establishingElectrotechnical minimumCommission ingressStandard protectionNo. standards for batteries used to power personal mobility devices sold, shipped, operated, or charged in this state.

(3) As used in this section, the term "personal mobility device" means an electrically powered device intended for individual transport, including, but not limited to, electric bicycles, motorized scooters, electric skateboards, and any other small, lightweight vehicle powered by a lithium battery.

(4) Any battery used in a personal mobility device sold, shipped, operated, or charged in this state must be certified by a recognized certification organization as meeting an internationally accepted ingress protection standard for electrical enclosures that provide protection against the effects of temporary submersion in liquid up to a depth of 1 meter.

A battery that is IPX7 certified in accordance with International Electrotechnical Commission Standard No.

(5)(b) A manufacturer,person distributor,who orviolates operatorparagraph of(a) ais personalsubject mobilityto devicean mustadministrative providefine, proofassessed ofby certificationthe upondepartment, requestof Pageup 2to of$1,000 3for CODING:a first violation;

Wordsa strickenfine areof deletions;up to $5,000 for a second violation;

wordsand underlineda arefine additions.of up to $10,000 for a third or subsequent violation.

hb291-00The F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S HB 291 2025 of the department orshall anydeposit otherfines applicablecollected regulatorypursuant entity of the state and in addition to anythis otherparagraph applicationinto materials submitted for a license or permit issued by the stateGeneral relatedRevenue toFund. such manufacture, distribution, or operation.

(6) The department shallmay coordinatesuspend withthe localimposition governmentalof entitiesa tofine ensurepursuant complianceto with this sectionparagraph, andconditioned mayupon imposethe finesperson's andcompliance seizewith noncompliantterms personalthe mobilitydepartment devicesdeems toappropriate. enforce this section.

(7)(a) A personal mobility device powered by a battery that is not certified as required by subsection (4) may not be sold, shipped, operated, or charged in this state.

(b) A person who violates this subsection is subject to the forfeiture of any noncompliant personal mobility device in his or her possession and the following fines:

1.

For a first violation, a fine of $250.

2.

For a second violation, a fine of $1,000.

3.

For a third violation, a fine of $10,000.

If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this act are severable.

Section 3.

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