HB2842eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2842 Engrossed LRB097 09038 AEK 49172 b

AN ACT concerning transportation.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by adding Section 12-808.1 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/12-808.1 new)

Sec. 12-808.1. Fire resistant materials.

(a) No new school bus shall be put into service on or after January 1, 2014 unless it is equipped with occupant seating which meets fire safety standards described in this Section.

(b) School bus occupant seating must pass the ASTM E1537-07 standard test method for fire testing of upholstered furniture. ASTM E1537-07 fire safety tests on school bus occupant seating shall be conducted on a complete seat assembly inside a test room or a school bus. Seating will have been deemed to have failed the ASTM E1537-07 test if:

(1) the seat assembly exhibits a weight loss of 3 pounds or greater during the first 10 minutes of the test; or

(2) the seat assembly exhibits a heat release rate of 80 kW or greater.

As an alternative to the ASTM E1537-07 standard test, school bus occupant seating may be required to pass the "School Bus Seat Upholstery Fire Block Test" as described in the latest edition of the National School Transportation Specifications and Procedures published by the National Congress on School Transportation.

(c) All plastic components contained in the engine compartment of all new school buses put in service on or after January 1, 2014 shall meet a V-0 classification when tested in accordance with the Underwriters Laboratories UL 94 standard for safety.

(d) The Illinois Department of Transportation shall adopt rules to promote the fire safety of school buses and implement the provisions of this Section. On and after the date the rules take effect, no new school bus shall be sold or offered for sale in this State unless the manufacturer has certified to the Illinois Department of Transportation, in a form acceptable to the Illinois Department of Transportation, that the fire safety standards prescribed by this Section have been met.