A new bill spearheaded by U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta is designed to bolster energy storage system safety and spur advances in technology development, as stated by the U.S. Congress.
H.R.8706 was filed on May 7, 2026 in the regular proceedings of the 119th Congress. Below is our summary—offering some interpretive clarification—based on the bill’s full text.
The legislation proposes amendments to the Energy Act of 2020, seeks to expand and improve programs related to energy storage technologies and safety, and specifies an updated definition for energy storage systems that encompasses all their components. It calls for developing new models and diagnostic tools to better manage risks, such as thermal runaway, and enhances protocols for testing and verification. As part of safety improvements, the number of mandated energy storage demonstration projects would increase from three to five by 2030, emphasizing safety testing. The bill earmarks $30 million per year for five years to back projects enhancing energy storage safety. These measures are set to begin once the law is enacted.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (Democrat-CA-19th District) is the sponsor and Rep. Pat Harrigan (Republican-CA-10th District) the co-sponsor of the legislation.
So far this Congressional session, Rep. Panetta has introduced 44 additional bills.
Bills in Congress may originate in either the House or the Senate, except for those concerning revenue, which start in the House. Once introduced, measures are referred to committees for examination, public hearings, potential amendment and debate before coming to votes in both chambers. Should both the Senate and House pass matching versions, the legislation goes to the president, who decides whether to sign or veto it. Each Congress is divided into a two-year term, split further into annual sessions, and the Congressional record-keeping process is managed and published by Congress.gov.
James Varni Panetta has served as a California Representative since Jan. 3, 2017. He previously worked as a deputy district attorney in Alameda and Monterey counties, and between 2012 and 2016 served as vice chairman of the Monterey County central Democratic committee.
His education includes an A.A. from Monterey Peninsula College (1989), a B.A. from the University of California, Davis (1991), and a J.D. from Santa Clara University (1996). Panetta was a United States Navy Reserve member from 2003 to 2011 and deployed to Afghanistan between 2007 and 2008.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| H.R.8706 | 05/07/2026 | Better Energy Storage and Safety Act |
| H.R.8626 | 04/30/2026 | Workforce Housing Tax Credit Act |
| H.R.8228 | 04/09/2026 | To nullify the Presidential Proclamation relating to Imposing a Temporary Import Surcharge to Address Fundamental International Payments Problems, and for other purposes. |
| H.R.7373 | 02/04/2026 | Trade Cheating Restitution Act of 2026 |
| H.R.7318 | 02/02/2026 | Opportunities in Organic Act |
| H.R.7188 | 01/21/2026 | MOLD Act |
| H.R.7143 | 01/16/2026 | Roadside Pollinator Program Amendments Act |
| H.R.7142 | 01/16/2026 | ACE Agriculture Act |
| H.R.6810 | 12/17/2025 | MAIL Theft Act of 2025 |
| H.R.6696 | 12/12/2025 | Restoring American Mineral Security Act of 2025 |
| H.R.6666 | 12/11/2025 | HIRRE Prosecutors Act of 2025 |
| H.R.6588 | 12/10/2025 | PROVIDE Act |
| H.R.6587 | 12/10/2025 | Vets ETA |
| H.R.6586 | 12/10/2025 | To authorize the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to assess the efficacy of providing junior enlisted members of the Armed Forces a monthly coupon for use in procuring food at commissaries. |
| H.R.6324 | 11/28/2025 | Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act |
| H.R.6323 | 11/28/2025 | Taxpayer Protection and Preparer Proficiency Act |
| H.R.6157 | 11/19/2025 | FORCE Act of 2025 |
| H.R.5555 | 09/23/2025 | Monterey Bay National Heritage Area Study Act |
| H.R.5442 | 09/17/2025 | Inspired to Serve Act of 2025 |
| H.R.5382 | 09/16/2025 | Health CARE Training Act |
| H.R.5334 | 09/11/2025 | SEED Act |
| H.R.5281 | 09/10/2025 | REAL Health Providers Act |
| H.R.5208 | 09/08/2025 | To amend title 37, United States Code, to exclude the basic allowance for housing from the calculation of gross household income for purposes of the basic needs allowance for eligible members of the Armed Forces. |
| H.R.4817 | 07/29/2025 | Immigrant Witness and Victim Protection Act of 2025 |
| H.R.4717 | 07/23/2025 | First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act of 2025 |
| H.R.4610 | 07/22/2025 | BRIDGE Africa Act |
| H.R.4288 | 07/02/2025 | To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in San Jose, California, as the “Corporal Patrick D. Tillman VA Clinic”. |
| H.R.4062 | 06/20/2025 | MONARCH Act of 2025 |
| H.R.3990 | 06/12/2025 | Disaster Relief Medicaid Act |
| H.R.3989 | 06/12/2025 | Fluent Forces Act |
| H.R.3783 | 06/05/2025 | Plant Biostimulant Act of 2025 |
| H.R.3600 | 05/23/2025 | LOOTER Act of 2025 |
| H.R.3520 | 05/20/2025 | STAND Against Emerging Opioids Act |
| H.R.3175 | 05/01/2025 | To authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to Thomas H. Griffin for acts of valor as a member of the Army during the Vietnam War. |
| H.R.3120 | 04/30/2025 | To improve the review and effectiveness of the cost of living adjustments to pay and benefits for members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense whose permanent duty station is located in the 19th Congressional District of California, and for other purposes. |
| H.R.2882 | 04/10/2025 | Central Coast of California Conservation Act of 2025 |
| H.R.2459 | 03/27/2025 | Reclaim Trade Powers Act |
| H.R.2157 | 03/14/2025 | To provide that members of the Armed Forces performing services in Kenya, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad shall be entitled to tax benefits in the same manner as if such services were performed in a combat zone. |
| H.R.2156 | 03/14/2025 | Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act |
| H.R.2010 | 03/10/2025 | NATO Edge Act |
| H.R.1494 | 02/21/2025 | Sporting Goods Excise Tax Modernization Act |
| H.R.1389 | 02/14/2025 | Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act |
| H.R.1340 | 02/13/2025 | More Homes on the Market Act |
| H.R.1266 | 02/12/2025 | Combating Illicit Xylazine Act |
| H.R.1024 | 02/05/2025 | US-Kazakhstan Trade Modernization Act |
Information in this article was sourced from the U.S. Congress. The original records can be accessed here.
