Bill Text: IL SB3304 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act. Provides that the Office of the State Fire Marshal (rather than, not later than May 30th of each year, from funds appropriated for this purpose) shall reimburse the local governmental agencies or individuals participating in the training program in an amount equaling one-half of the total sum paid by them during the period established by the Office for tuition at training schools, salary of trainees while in school, necessary travel expenses, and room and board for each trainee from funds appropriated for this purpose. Provides that if a National Fire Protection Association standard exists for various criteria identified under the Act, the Office shall utilize and adopt, by procedures, directives, or rules that standard or those standards as the minimum standard requirements for that criteria. Provides that the Office shall establish procedures for the adoption of those applicable National Fire Protection Association standards. Provides that the Office may, in its discretion, adopt, amend, and repeal in part or in their entirety those procedures, directives, or rules as may be necessary to carry out the Act. Makes other changes.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2018-06-29 - Public Act . . . . . . . . . 100-0600 [SB3304 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-SB3304-Chaptered.html

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Public Act 100-0600
SB3304 Enrolled LRB100 20771 SLF 36259 b
AN ACT concerning local government.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Fire Protection Training Act is
amended by changing Sections 2, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 as
follows:
(50 ILCS 740/2) (from Ch. 85, par. 532)
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
context requires otherwise:
a. Office means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
b. "Local governmental agency" means any local
governmental unit or municipal corporation in this State. It
does not include the State of Illinois or any office, officer,
department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency of
the State except: (i) a State controlled university, college,
or public community college, or (ii) the Office of the State
Fire Marshal.
c. "School" means any school located within the State of
Illinois whether privately or publicly owned which offers a
course in fire protection training or related subjects and
which has been approved by the Office.
d. "Trainee" means a recruit fire fighter required to
complete initial minimum basic training requirements at an

approved school to be eligible for permanent employment as a
fire fighter.
e. "Fire protection personnel" and "fire fighter" means any
person engaged in fire administration, fire prevention, fire
suppression, fire education and arson investigation, including
any permanently employed, trainee or volunteer fire fighter,
whether or not such person, trainee or volunteer is compensated
for all or any fraction of his time.
f. "Basic training" and "basic level" shall mean the entry
level fire fighter Basic Operations Firefighter program
established by as promulgated by the rules and regulations of
the Office.
g. "Advanced training" means the advanced level fire
fighter programs established by the Office.
(Source: P.A. 96-974, eff. 7-2-10; 97-782, eff. 1-1-13.)
(50 ILCS 740/7) (from Ch. 85, par. 537)
Sec. 7. Selection and approval certification of schools.
The Office shall select and approve certify the fire training
program at the University of Illinois and other schools within
the State of Illinois for the purpose of providing basic
training for trainees, and advanced or in-service inservice
training for permanent fire protection personnel which schools
may be either publicly or privately owned and operated.
(Source: P.A. 80-147.)

(50 ILCS 740/9) (from Ch. 85, par. 539)
Sec. 9. Training participation; funding. All local
governmental agencies and individuals may elect to participate
in the training programs under this Act, subject to the rules
and regulations of the Office. The participation may be for
certification only, or for certification and reimbursement for
training expenses as further provided in this Act. To be
eligible to receive reimbursement for training of individuals,
a local governmental agency shall require by ordinance that a
trainee complete a basic level course approved by the Office,
and pass the State test for certification at the basic level
within the probationary period as established by the local
governmental agency. A certified copy of the ordinance must be
on file with the Office.
Individuals who have retired from active fire service
duties and are officially affiliated with fire service
training, mutual aid, incident command, fire ground
operations, or staff support for public fire service
organizations shall not be prohibited from receiving training
certification from the Office on the ground that they are not
employed or otherwise engaged by an organized Illinois fire
department if they otherwise meet the minimum certification
standards set by the Office.
Employees of the Office shall not be prohibited from
receiving training certifications from the Office on the
grounds that they are not employed or otherwise engaged by an

organized Illinois fire department if they otherwise meet the
minimum certification standards set by the Office and the
certifications are directly related to their job-related
duties, as determined by the Office.
The Office may by rule provide for reimbursement funding
for trainees who are volunteers or paid on call fire protection
personnel beyond their probationary period, but not to exceed 3
years from the date of initial employment. The Office may
reimburse for basic or advanced training of individuals who
were permanently employed fire protection personnel prior to
the date of the ordinance. Individuals may receive
reimbursement if employed by a unit of local government that
participates for reimbursement funding and the individual is
otherwise eligible.
Failure of any trainee to complete the basic training and
certification within the required period will render that
individual and local governmental agency ineligible for
reimbursement funding for basic training for that individual in
the calendar fiscal year in which his probationary period ends.
The individual may later become certified without
reimbursement.
Any participating local governmental agency may elect to
withdraw from the training program by repealing the original
ordinance, and a certified copy of the ordinance must be filed
with the Office.
(Source: P.A. 96-215, eff. 8-10-09; 97-782, eff. 1-1-13.)

(50 ILCS 740/10) (from Ch. 85, par. 540)
Sec. 10. Training expenses; reimbursement. The Office, not
later than May 30th of each year, from funds appropriated for
this purpose, shall reimburse the local governmental agencies
or individuals participating in the training program in an
amount equaling one-half of the total sum paid by them during
the period established by the Office for tuition at training
schools, salary of trainees while in school, necessary travel
expenses, and room and board for each trainee from funds
appropriated for this purpose. Funds appropriated under this
Section shall be used for reimbursement for costs incurred from
January 1 through December 31 of the prior calendar year. In
addition to reimbursement provided herein by the Office to the
local governmental agencies for participation by trainees, the
Office in each year shall reimburse the local governmental
agencies participating in the training program for permanent
fire protection personnel in the same manner as trainees for
each training program. No more than 50% of the reimbursements
distributed to local governmental agencies in any fiscal year
shall be distributed to local governmental agencies of more
than 500,000 persons. If at the time of the annual
reimbursement to local governmental agencies participating in
the training program there is an insufficient appropriation to
make reimbursement in full, the appropriation shall be
apportioned among the participating local governmental

agencies. No local governmental agency which shall alter or
change in any manner any of the training programs as
promulgated under this Act or fail to comply with rules and
regulations promulgated under this Act shall be entitled to
receive any matching funds under this Act. Submitting false
information to the Office is a Class B misdemeanor.
(Source: P.A. 97-782, eff. 1-1-13.)
(50 ILCS 740/11) (from Ch. 85, par. 541)
Sec. 11. Rules and regulations.
The Office may make, amend, and rescind those rules and
regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of
this Act. The Office may make rules and regulations
establishing the fees to be paid for the administration of
examinations, approval certification of schools, and
certification of fire fighters, and other training programs
provided by the Office.
(Source: P.A. 89-180, eff. 7-19-95; 90-20, eff. 6-20-97.)
(50 ILCS 740/12) (from Ch. 85, par. 542)
Sec. 12. Advanced training programs. The Office, in its
discretion, may adopt rules and minimum standards for advanced
training programs for permanent fire protection personnel in
addition to the basic training programs. The training for
permanent fire protection personnel may be given in any schools
approved selected by the Office. Such training, if offered, may

be discontinued by the school upon either a temporary or
permanent basis. Local governmental agencies which have
elected to participate in the basic recruit training program
may elect to participate in the advanced, training for
permanent fire protection personnel, but non-participation in
the advanced program shall not in any way affect the right of
governmental agencies to participate in the basic training
trainee program. The failure of any permanent fire protection
employee to successfully complete any course herein authorized
shall not affect his or her status as a member of the fire
department of any local governmental agency.
(Source: P.A. 80-147.)
(50 ILCS 740/13) (from Ch. 85, par. 543)
Sec. 13. Additional powers and Duties. In addition to the
other powers and duties given to the Office by this Act, the
Office:
(1) may employ a Manager Director of Personnel Standards
and Education and other necessary clerical and technical
personnel;
(2) may make such reports and recommendations to the
Governor and the General Assembly in regard to fire protection
personnel, standards, education, and related topics as it deems
proper;
(3) shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly
no later than March 1 of each year the affairs and activities

of the Office for the preceding year.
The requirement for reporting to the General Assembly shall
be satisfied by filing copies of the report with the Speaker,
the Minority Leader and the Clerk of the House of
Representatives and the President, the Minority Leader and the
Secretary of the Senate and the Legislative Research Unit, as
required by Section 3.1 of "An Act to revise the law in
relation to the General Assembly", approved February 25, 1874,
as amended, and filing such additional copies with the State
Government Report Distribution Center for the General Assembly
as is required under paragraph (t) of Section 7 of the State
Library Act.
(Source: P.A. 84-1438.)