97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB3437
 
Introduced 2/7/2012, by Sen. M. Maggie Crotty
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:










50 ILCS 740/2 from Ch. 85, par. 532
50 ILCS 740/9 from Ch. 85, par. 539
50 ILCS 740/10 from Ch. 85, par. 540

 Amends the Illinois Fire Protection Training Act. Provides that the definition of "local governmental agency" includes the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Provides that if employees of the Office of the State Fire Marshal meet certain requirements, then they shall not be prohibited from receiving training certifications on the grounds that they are not employed or otherwise engaged by an organized Illinois fire department. Makes other changes.



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A BILL FOR
 


SB3437LRB097 14453 KMW 59302 b



1 AN ACT concerning local government.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The Illinois Fire Protection Training Act is 
5amended by changing Sections 2, 9, and 10 as follows:




6 (50 ILCS 740/2) (from Ch. 85, par. 532)



7 Sec. 2. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the 
8context
requires otherwise:

9 a. Office means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

10 b. "Local governmental agency" means any local 
11governmental unit or
municipal corporation in this State. It 
12does not include the State of
Illinois or any office, officer, 
13department, division, bureau, board,
commission, or agency of 
14the State except: (i) a State controlled university,
college, 
15or public community college, or (ii) the Office of the State 
16Fire Marshal.

17 c. "School" means any school located within the State of 
18Illinois
whether privately or publicly owned which offers a 
19course in fire
protection training or related subjects and 
20which has been approved by
the Office.

21 d. "Trainee" means a recruit fire fighter required to 
22complete
initial minimum basic training requirements at an 
23approved school to be
eligible for permanent employment as a 
 
 
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1fire fighter.

2 e. "Fire protection personnel" and "fire fighter" means any 
3person
engaged in fire administration, fire prevention, fire 
4suppression, fire
education and arson investigation, including 
5any permanently employed,
trainee or volunteer fire fighter, 
6whether or not such person, trainee
or volunteer is compensated 
7for all or any fraction of his time.

8 f. "Basic training" and "basic level" shall mean the Basic 
9Operations Firefighter
program as promulgated by the rules and 
10regulations of the Office.

11(Source: P.A. 96-974, eff. 7-2-10.)





12 (50 ILCS 740/9) (from Ch. 85, par. 539)



13 Sec. 9. Training participation; funding. All local 
14governmental agencies
and individuals may elect to participate

15in the training programs under this Act, subject to the rules 
16and regulations
of the Office. The participation may be for 
17certification
only, or for
certification and reimbursement for 
18training expenses as further provided
in this Act. To be 
19eligible to receive reimbursement for training of
individuals,

20a local governmental agency shall require by ordinance that a 
21trainee complete
a basic course approved by the Office, and 
22pass the State
test for certification at the basic level within 
23the probationary period
as established by the local 
24governmental agency. A certified copy of the
ordinance must be 
25on file with the Office.

 
 
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1 Individuals who have retired from active fire service 
2duties and are officially affiliated with fire service 
3training, mutual aid, incident command, fire ground 
4operations, or staff support for public fire service 
5organizations shall not be prohibited from receiving training 
6certification from the Office on the ground that they are not 
7employed or otherwise engaged by an organized Illinois fire 
8department if they otherwise meet the minimum certification 
9standards set by the Office. 
10 Employees of the Office shall not be prohibited from 
11receiving training certifications from the Office on the 
12grounds that they are not employed or otherwise engaged by an 
13organized Illinois fire department if they otherwise meet the 
14minimum certification standards set by the Office and the 
15certifications are directly related to their job-related 
16duties, as determined by the Office. 
17 The Office may by rule provide for reimbursement funding 
18for trainees who
are volunteers or paid on call fire protection 
19personnel beyond their
probationary
period, but not to exceed 3 
20years from the date of initial employment.
The Office may 
21reimburse for basic or advanced training of individuals who

22were permanently employed fire protection personnel prior to 
23the date of
the ordinance. Individuals may receive 
24reimbursement if employed
by a unit
of local government that 
25participates for reimbursement funding
and the
individual is 
26otherwise eligible.

 
 
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1 Failure of any trainee to complete the basic training and

2certification
within the required period will render that 
3individual and local governmental
agency ineligible for 
4reimbursement funding for basic training for that
individual in 
5the fiscal year in which his probationary period ends. The

6individual may later become certified without reimbursement.

7 Any participating local governmental agency may elect to 
8withdraw from
the training program by repealing the original 
9ordinance, and a certified
copy
of the ordinance must be filed 
10with the Office.

11(Source: P.A. 96-215, eff. 8-10-09.)





12 (50 ILCS 740/10) (from Ch. 85, par. 540)



13 Sec. 10. Training expenses; reimbursement. The Office, not 
14later than
May 30th of each year,
from funds appropriated for 
15this purpose, shall reimburse the local
governmental agencies 
16or individuals participating in the training
program in an 
17amount equaling equalling one-half of the total sum paid by

18them during
the period established by the Office for tuition
at 
19training schools, salary of
trainees while in school, necessary 
20travel expenses, and room and board
for each trainee. In 
21addition to reimbursement provided herein by the
Office to the 
22local governmental agencies for participation by trainees,
the 
23Office in each year shall reimburse the local governmental 
24agencies
participating in the training program for permanent 
25fire protection
personnel in the same manner as trainees for 
 
 
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1each training program.
No more than 50% of the reimbursements 
2distributed to local governmental
agencies in any fiscal year 
3shall be distributed to local governmental
agencies of more 
4than 500,000 persons. If at the time of the annual

5reimbursement to local governmental agencies participating in 
6the
training program there is an insufficient appropriation to 
7make
reimbursement in full, the appropriation shall be 
8apportioned among the
participating local governmental 
9agencies. No local governmental agency
which shall alter or 
10change in any manner any of the training programs
as 
11promulgated under this Act or fail to comply with rules and

12regulations promulgated under this Act shall be entitled to 
13receive any
matching funds under this Act. Submitting false 
14information to the
Office is a Class B misdemeanor.

15(Source: P.A. 90-20, eff. 6-20-97.)