City Council
[email protected]
April 14, 2026
The Honorable Rhodesia Ransom
Chair, Assembly Emergency Management Committee
1020 N Street, Room 360B
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 1995 (Patel) State Fire Marshal: lithium battery working group: membership: funding. (As Introduced February 17, 2026)
Dear Assemblymember Ransom,
The City of San Marcos respectfully expresses its support of AB 1995 (Patel), which would make moneys in the Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund available, upon appropriation, to support the lithium battery 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.
In 2025, Assemblymember Patel introduced AB 841, which was signed by the Governor, which created a working group to identify those safety issues associated with lithium batteries and associated charging infrastructure installed or used near or within residential or commercial occupancies.
The San Marcos Fire Department, and other fire departments throughout the state are responding to more lithium battery fires. These fires expose firefighters to more carcinogens and leave a chemicals on their turnout gear that are difficult, if not impossible to remove.
The City of San Marcos believes that it is critical to ensure firefighters have the appropriate personal protective equipment and protocols to reduce exposures and minimize health risks. While the working group has been created, it requires funding to research these important issues.
For these reasons, the City of San Marcos supports AB 1995 (Patel).
Sincerely,
Rebecca D. Jones
Mayor
cc: League of California Cities