HB1175enr 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1175 Enrolled LRB096 07359 ASK 17445 b

AN ACT concerning professional regulation.

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

Section 5. The Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act is amended by changing Section 30 as follows:

(225 ILCS 317/30)

Sec. 30. Requirements for the installation, repair, inspection, and testing of fire protection systems.

(a) Equipment shall be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. or Factory Mutual Laboratories, Inc., or shall comply with nationally accepted standards. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt by rule procedures for determining whether a laboratory is nationally recognized, taking into account the laboratory's facilities, procedures, use of nationally recognized standards, and any other criteria reasonably calculated to reach an informed determination.

(b) Equipment shall be installed in accordance with the applicable standards of the National Fire Protection Association and the manufacturer's specifications.

(c) The contractor shall furnish the user with operating instructions for all equipment installed, together with a diagram of the final installation.

(d) All fire sprinkler systems shall have a backflow prevention device or, in a municipality with a population over 500,000, a double detector check assembly installed by a licensed plumber before the fire sprinkler system connection to the water service. Connection to the backflow prevention device or, in a municipality with a population over 500,000, a double detector assembly shall be done in a manner consistent with the Department of Public Health's Plumbing Code.

(e) This licensing Act is not intended to require any additional fire inspections at State level.

(f) Inspections and testing of existing fire sprinkler systems and control equipment must be performed by a licensee or an individual employed or contracted by a licensee. Any individual who performs inspection and testing duties under this subsection (f) must possess proof of (i) certification by a nationally recognized certification organization at an appropriate level, such as NICET Level II in Inspection and Testing of Water Based Systems or the equivalent, by January 1, 2009 or (ii) satisfactory completion of a certified sprinkler fitter apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. State employees who perform inspections and testing on behalf of State institutions and who meet all other requirements of this subsection (f) need not be licensed under this Act or employed by a licensee under this Act in order to perform inspection and testing duties under this subsection (f). The requirements of this subsection (f) do not apply to individuals performing inspections or testing of fire sprinkler systems on behalf of a municipality, a county, a fire protection district, or the Office of the State Fire Marshal. This subsection (f) does not apply to cursory weekly and monthly inspections of gauges and control valves conducted in accordance with the standards of the National Fire Protection Association.

A copy of the inspection report for an inspection performed pursuant to this subsection (f) must be forwarded by the entity performing the inspection to the local fire department or fire protection district in which the sprinkler system is located.

(Source: P.A. 95-305, eff. 8-20-07.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2010.