LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A Nevada congresswoman has introduced a new package of bills to regulate the transportation of lithium-ion batteries, nearly two years after a fire shut down the interstate connecting California with Las Vegas for multiple days.

U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nevada, said the bills would strengthen federal regulation and give firefighters the tools they need to battle lithium battery fires that enter an uncontrollable, self-heating state, known as thermal runaway.

In 2024, a fire engulfed six lithium-ion batteries transported via semi-truck on northbound Interstate 15 north of Barstow, California.

I-15 was shut down for two days because of the potential for the rapid spread of flames and the toxic gases from the batteries. This stranded hundreds of people on the interstate and forced thousands more to find alternate routes, creating a travel nightmare for many.

"The disaster on Interstate 15 was a wake-up call that we need to do more to protect the public from dangerous fires related to the transport of lithium-ion batteries," Titus said in a statement.

Titus says the Thermal Runaway Reduction Act would set up a pilot program to test strategies for fighting thermal runaway. It would also require impact testing for crashes and set a maximum state of charge for ground transit.

The Firefighter Lithium Awareness and Readiness Enhancement (FLARE) Act would also provide fire departments with federal funds to buy equipment needed to battle thermal runaway.

Clark County Fire Department Chief Billy Samuels said lithium batteries have presented new challenges for firefighting, and Titus' bills would help address them.

"We would encourage Congress to pass these bills to protect the safety of the public and we appreciate the Congresswoman's diligence in addressing this important issue," Samuels said in a statement.