HB4545eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4545 Engrossed LRB097 19823 KMW 65098 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, 9, and 10 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 Basic Operations Firefighter program as promulgated by the rules and regulations of the Office.

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

(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 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 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.)

(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 equalling 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. 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. 90-20, eff. 6-20-97.)