HB4165 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB102 20009 AWJ 28935 b

102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4165

Introduced 10/19/2021, by Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, Sonya M. Harper, Robyn Gabel, Rita Mayfield, Margaret Croke, et al.

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act. Provides that the owner of a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall install public rescue equipment, including, at a minimum, ring life buoys, on each of the owner's piers and drop-offs along the Lake Michigan coast. Provides that public rescue equipment shall also be installed in all high-incident drowning areas on an owner's property. Includes requirements for ring life buoys. Provides that each unit of local government owning a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall track and report to the Department of Public Health, in a form prescribed by the Department, Lake Michigan lakefront drownings, both fatal and non-fatal drownings, near the unit's piers and drop-offs. Includes tracking and reporting requirements. Provides that the Department shall analyze the tracking and reporting and appropriately provide a plan and recommendations for reduction in drowning incidents. Defines terms. Effective 180 days after becoming law.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning water safety.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Drop-off" means the areas of a lake's shoreline where a paved path or rocks allows direct public access to the water.

"High-incident drowning area" means an area where more than one drowning incident has occurred in the span of 5 years.

"Public rescue equipment" includes a range of water rescue devices available for public use in case of emergency, such as life rings, throw bags, rescue tubes, and rescue poles.

"Pier" means a platform supported on pillars or girders leading out from the shore into a lake.

Section 10. Public rescue equipment on piers and drop-offs.

(a) The owner of a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall install public rescue equipment, including, at a minimum, ring life buoys, on each of the owner's piers and drop-offs along the Lake Michigan coast. The ring life buoy must not be permanently secured in any way to the station, rack, or pier. Each ring life buoy must be stowed inside a station to protect it from constant weather exposure. The station must be a bright orange or yellow color for high visibility and to allow for quick access to the ring.

To reduce vandalism and theft, the station shall have an alarm when opened and signage that warns lakefront patrons that they are on camera and tampering with or misuse of public rescue equipment is strictly prohibited. Additionally, on piers in high-incident drowning areas, stations shall automatically alert 911 when the ring life buoys are pulled from their mounting stations.

Public rescue equipment shall also be installed in all high-incident drowning areas on an owner's property and shall be in accordance with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's "A Guide to Coastal Public Rescue Equipment".

(b) The owner of the pier or drop-off shall oversee the installation and maintenance of the public rescue equipment. The State or unit of local government owning a pier or drop-off shall also provide public education regarding public rescue equipment.

Section 15. Ring life buoy requirements. Ring life buoys installed as required in Section 10 must meet the following:

(1) The ring life buoy shall meet the requirements of 46 CFR 160.050 or 46 CFR 160.150 for SOLAS-approved equipment or successor standards issued by the United States Coast Guard.

(2) There shall be attached to each ring life buoy a buoyant line of at least 100 inches length, with a breaking strength of at least 5 kilonewton. The end of the line must not be secured to the shore.

(3) Each ring life buoy shall be marked with type II retroreflective material meeting the requirements of 46 CFR 164.018.

(4) Each ring life buoy shall be placed at a distance not to exceed 200 feet from the shoreline of the lake and be readily available for emergency rescue operations.

Section 20. Tracking, reporting, and analyzing drownings. Each unit of local government owning a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall track and report to the Department of Public Health, in a form prescribed by the Department, Lake Michigan lakefront drownings, both fatal and non-fatal drownings, near the unit's piers and drop-offs. Such tracking and reporting shall include, at a minimum, access to and use of public rescue equipment, location, temperature, time of day, conditions, demographics, swimming ability, and type of entry into the water. Based on this tracking and reporting, the Department shall analyze the tracking and reporting and appropriately provide a plan and recommendations for reduction in drowning incidents.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect 180 days after becoming law.