SB0046 Enrolled LRB094 04081 RXD 34101 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 5. The Public Building Egress Act is amended by
5 adding Section 1.5 as follows:
 
6     (425 ILCS 55/1.5 new)
7     Sec. 1.5. Stairwell door access.
8     (a) Stairwell enclosures in buildings greater than 4
9 stories shall comply with one of the following requirements:
10         (1) No stairwell enclosure door shall be locked at any
11     time in order to provide re-entry from the stair enclosure
12     to the interior of the building; or
13         (2) Stairwell enclosure doors that are locked shall be
14     equipped with an electronic lock release system that is
15     activated upon loss of power, manually by a single switch
16     accessible to building management or firefighting
17     personnel, and automatically by activation of the
18     building's fire alarm system.
19     A telephone or other two-way communications system
20 connected to an approved constantly attended location shall be
21 provided on not less than every fifth floor in each stairway
22 where the doors to the stairway are locked. If this option is
23 selected, the building must comply with these requirements by
24 January 1, 2006.
25     (b) Regardless of which option is selected under subsection
26 (a) of this Section, stairwell enclosure doors at the main
27 egress level of the building shall remain unlocked from the
28 stairwell enclosure side at all times.
29     (c) Building owners that select the option under paragraph
30 (2) of subsection (a) of this Section must comply with the
31 following requirements during the time necessary to install a
32 lock release system and the two-way communication system:

 

 

SB0046 Enrolled - 2 - LRB094 04081 RXD 34101 b

1         (1) Re-entry into the building interior shall be
2     possible at all times on the highest story or second
3     highest story, whichever allows access to another exit
4     stair;
5         (2) There shall not be more than 4 stories intervening
6     between stairwell enclosure doors that provides access to
7     another exit stair;
8         (3) Doors allowing re-entry shall be identified as such
9     on the stair side of the door;
10         (4) Doors not allowing re-entry shall be provided with
11     a sign on the stair side indicating the location of the
12     nearest exit, in each direction of travel that allows
13     re-entry; and
14         (5) The information required to be posted on the door
15     under paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection (c), shall
16     be posted at eye level and at the bottom of the door.
17     (d) Nothing in this Section applies to any stairwell
18 enclosure door that opens directly into a dwelling unit,
19 provided the dwelling unit door has a self-closer, latch, and
20 no self-locking hardware. Where all doors in the stairwell meet
21 these criteria, the stairwell shall be provided with either a
22 two-way communication system or readily operable windows on
23 each landing or intermediate landing.    
24     (e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (e), a home
25 rule unit may not regulate stairwell door access in a manner
26 less restrictive than the regulation by the State of stairwell
27 door access under this Act. This subsection (e) is a limitation
28 under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the
29 Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule
30 units of powers and functions exercised by the State.
31     (e) This Section does not apply in a home rule municipality
32 that, on or before January 1, 2005, has passed an ordinance
33 regulating building access from stairwell enclosures in
34 buildings that are more than 4 stories in height.