A must-pass government funding bill unveiled Tuesday in Congress includes a provision aimed at preventing fires caused by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, commonly found in e-bikes and scooters.

The safety measure, which is co-sponsored by several New York lawmakers and has the backing of the FDNY, would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to create federal standards for the batteries. 

The measure was included in the 1,500-page funding bill which must be passed and signed into law by Friday night to prevent a partial government shutdown. If passed, it would keep the federal government funded through mid-March.

The House and Senate are expected to vote on the overall bill in coming days.

As of Dec. 16, the batteries have been blamed for 264 fires in New York City, injuring 95 people and killing five, according to data provided by the FDNY. 

Back in May, the U.S. House passed a standalone version of the safety legislation with wide bipartisan support. In July, a Senate committee advanced the bill.

But the bill has yet to receive a vote in the full Senate. Some Democrats accused Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of holding things up. 

Rep. Ritchie Torres, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Sen. Chuck Schumer - all New York Democrats - are among those leading the charge to get the safety measure passed. It is one of several provisions involving unrelated issues and policies added to the overall funding bill, the last major piece of legislation expected to be approved by this session of Congress.

In a joint statement, the three officials reacted to the bill being voted on before the end of the year.

"The fires and the injuries caused by these batteries have caused tremendous loss across New York and federal action is needed to protect consumers and also our brave firefighters who are on the front lines of this new paradigm in fire prevention spurred by these unpredictable, and often times, very dangerous batteries - now, we will get that action," Schumer wrote in a statement.

"Far too many New York families have been ripped apart by fires caused by these faulty devices and this important bill will protect our communities, and most importantly, save innocent lives," Gillibrand said.

"I am grateful to my colleagues from the New York Congressional delegation who have come together in a bipartisan way to work to create and implement for the first time national safety standards for lithium-ion batteries in order to protect people and communities from unreasonable risk, serious injury or damage, and/or death," Torres wrote in a statement.