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S2181APublic Health

Health and Safety - Office of State Fire Marshal

The bill requires the DMV to share the addresses and details of electric and hybrid vehicles with local fire departments.

Introduced69 Yea0 Nay6 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 16, 2026Committee Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

Plain-English Summary

This bill requires the state fire marshal and the division of motor vehicles (DMV) to create a database of electric and hybrid vehicles that use high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. The fire marshal will compile a list of all local fire departments and districts. Twice a year, the DMV will use this list to send information about electric and hybrid vehicles—specifically the vehicle's make, model, year, and the address where it is kept—to the local fire department or district that covers that address.

For younger readers

This bill makes a new rule for cars that run on electricity instead of just gas. The people who give out car license plates will make a list of these electric cars. Twice a year, they will tell the local fire department where these cars are parked at night, along with the car's make, model, and year. This means firefighters will know exactly which houses have electric cars in case there is an emergency.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Electric vehicle ownersHybrid vehicle ownersFire departmentsState fire marshalDivision of motor vehicles
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

While sharing DMV data between government agencies for safety purposes is generally permitted under exceptions to privacy laws like the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act, there is a minor constitutional risk regarding broader privacy rights. Citizens may argue that systematically tracking and distributing the residential addresses of individuals based solely on their lawful purchase of a specific type of vehicle constitutes an unreasonable invasion of privacy without cause.

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Enhances community welfare and public safety by equipping first responders with critical information about the location of high-voltage lithium-ion batteries, which require specific fire-fighting techniques.
  • Promotes the safe integration of green technology and electric vehicles into communities by addressing potential localized hazards proactively.
  • Improves the efficiency of public services by fostering inter-agency coordination between the division of motor vehicles and local fire departments.
  • Raises significant privacy concerns by systematically tracking and sharing the specific addresses of electric and hybrid vehicle owners with local fire departments without their explicit consent.
  • Could inadvertently create a chilling effect on the adoption of environmentally friendly electric vehicles if consumers feel their purchases subject them to government surveillance.
  • Diverts administrative resources within the division of motor vehicles and fire departments to maintain this database, which could be spent on more pressing public welfare programs.
For Conservatives
  • Supports local firefighters and first responders by providing them with the necessary intelligence to handle specialized and potentially dangerous high-voltage battery fires.
  • Addresses the unique property and safety risks associated with new electric vehicle technologies, protecting homeowners and neighborhoods from severe fire damage.
  • Utilizes existing government agencies and data to improve public safety without imposing new taxes or directly regulating the manufacturers of electric vehicles.
  • Infringes on personal freedom and privacy by mandating the government collection and distribution of citizens' vehicle locations and property addresses.
  • Expands government bureaucracy by requiring the state fire marshal and the division of motor vehicles to create and maintain a new, ongoing surveillance database.
  • Unfairly targets and stigmatizes owners of specific types of vehicles, creating an unnecessary government registry that oversteps the boundaries of limited government.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

2 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 16 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 23-28.2 of the General Laws entitled "Office of State Fire Marshal" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 23-28.2-31. Electric and hybrid motor vehicle identification database.

(a) The office of the state fire marshal ("office") shall, in coordination with the division of motor vehicles ("division"), create and maintain a vehicle identification database for electric or hybrid motor vehicles powered in whole or in part by a high-voltage lithium-ion storage battery.

(b) The office shall compile a contact list of all departments and districts that provide fire- fighting services and shall provide the division with the list which would enable the division to transfer the information required to be collected pursuant to subsection (c) of this section directly to the fire department or fire district that provides fire protection services to the address of the vehicle owner. The office shall provide an updated contact list to the division as necessary.

(c) The information to be transferred by the division pursuant to this section shall be limited to:

(1) A vehicle description including the make, model and year of the vehicle; and

(2) The address of the structure where the vehicle is located.

(d) The division shall forward the information collected pursuant to subsection (c) of this section to the municipal or volunteer fire department or fire district that provides fire protection services where the vehicle is located by January 1, and July 1, of each year.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect six (6) months after passage.