HB5664 Engrossed LRB096 18329 DRJ 34185 b

1     AN ACT concerning safety.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Greek
5 Housing Fire Safety Act.
 
6     Section 5. Legislative findings. Fire deaths and burn
7 injuries among college students have become a common
8 occurrence. It has been proven that automatic fire sprinkler
9 systems are a highly effective method of controlling or
10 extinguishing a fire in its early stages and protecting the
11 lives of the building's occupants and the responding
12 firefighters. Many students are living in Greek housing that is
13 not adequately protected with automatic fire sprinkler
14 systems. Insurance companies recognize the benefits of
15 sprinkler systems and have offered significant policy
16 discounts to Greek organizations to cover housing protected by
17 automatic sprinkler systems. Dormitories in the State of
18 Illinois are already required to have automatic fire sprinkler
19 systems by 2013.
 
20     Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
21     "Automatic fire sprinkler system" means a fire sprinkler
22 system as defined in the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing

 

 

HB5664 Engrossed - 2 - LRB096 18329 DRJ 34185 b

1 Act.
2     "Greek housing structure" means a structure that provides
3 housing for members of a social fraternity or sorority exempt
4 from taxation under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
5 of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 50(a)), the active membership of which
6 consists primarily of students in attendance at a public or
7 private institution of higher education. The structure may also
8 provide for other activities in addition to housing.
 
9     Section 15. Automatic fire sprinkler systems required.
10     (a) In the case of a Greek housing structure the
11 construction of which is begun on or after January 1, 2011,
12 that construction must include the installation of automatic
13 fire sprinkler systems.
14     (b) In the case of a Greek housing structure construction
15 of which was begun before January 1, 2011, automatic fire
16 sprinkler systems are required in every such structure by
17 January 1, 2019.
18     (c) If a Greek housing structure does not comply with this
19 Section, it is unlawful to occupy the structure as a Greek
20 housing structure.
21     (d) Nothing in this Act may be construed to abrogate any
22 statute, rule, or ordinance requiring that a fire extinguisher
23 be present in a Greek housing structure.
 
24     Section 20. Enforcement of Act.

 

 

HB5664 Engrossed - 3 - LRB096 18329 DRJ 34185 b

1     (a) If a Greek housing structure is under the jurisdiction
2 of the unit of local government in whose territory it is
3 located, that unit of local government is responsible for
4 enforcing this Act with respect to that structure.
5     (b) If a Greek housing structure is under the jurisdiction
6 of the institution of higher education that its residents
7 attend, that institution of higher education is responsible for
8 enforcing this Act with respect to that structure.
 
9     Section 25. Local ordinances. If a unit of local government
10 has adopted an ordinance that requires automatic fire
11 suppression systems in housing units under this Act that is
12 more stringent than this Act, then the local ordinance shall
13 control.
 
14     Section 30. Interpretation of Act. Nothing in this Act
15 shall be construed to apply to the standards already governed
16 by the Fire Sprinkler Dormitory Act.
 
17     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
18 1, 2011.