HB1446 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 05623 RXD 35672 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB1446

Introduced 2/10/2005, by Rep. Patricia Bailey

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

425 ILCS 55/Act title
425 ILCS 55/0.01	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 3500
425 ILCS 55/1	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 3501
425 ILCS 55/1.5 new
425 ILCS 55/3	from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 3503

Amends the Public Building Egress Act. Changes the short title of the Act to the Emergency Egress Act. Provides that the Act shall apply to all buildings (rather than all public buildings). Requires doors serving a room or area with an occupant load of 50 or more in any building, to swing in the direction of egress travel (rather than swing upon their hinges and be constructed so that the doors shall open outward). Requires stairwell enclosures in buildings serving more than 4 stories to comply with one of the following requirements: (1) no stairwell enclosure door shall be locked at any time; or (2) stairwell enclosure doors that are locked shall be equipped with an electronic lock release system that is activated upon loss of power. Provides that stairwell enclosure doors at the main egress level of the building shall remain unlocked from the stairwell enclosure side at all times. Provides that building owners who lock stairwell enclosure doors shall comply with specific requirements during the time necessary to install a lock release system and two-way communication system. Limits the concurrent exercise of home rule powers.

HOME RULE NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning safety.

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

Section 5. The Public Building Egress Act is amended by changing the title of the Act and Sections 0.01, 1, and 3 and by adding Section 1.5 as follows:

(425 ILCS 55/Act title)

An Act to regulate the means of egress from public buildings.

(425 ILCS 55/0.01) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 3500)

Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Emergency Public Building Egress Act.

(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(425 ILCS 55/1) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 3501)

Sec. 1. Doors serving a room or area with an occupant load of 50 or more in any building shall swing in the direction of egress travel That all public buildings now in process of construction or hereafter to be built or constructed, which may or shall be used for churches, school houses, operas, theatres, lecture rooms, hotels, public meetings, town halls, or which may or shall be used for any purpose whereby a collection of people may be assembled together for religious worship, amusement or instruction, shall be so built and constructed that all doors leading from the main hall or place where said collection of people may be assembled, or from the principal room which may be used for any of the purposes aforesaid, shall be so swung upon their hinges and constructed that said doors shall open outward; and that all means of egress for the public from the main hall or principal room, and from the building, shall be by means of doors which shall open outwards from the main hall or building.

(Source: R.S. 1874, p. 786.)

(425 ILCS 55/1.5 new)

Sec. 1.5. Stairwell door access.

(a) Stairwell enclosures in buildings serving more than 4 stories shall comply with one of the following requirements:

(1) No stairwell enclosure door shall be locked at any time in order to provide re-entry from the stair enclosure to the interior of the building; or

(2) Stairwell enclosure doors that are locked shall be equipped with an electronic lock release system that is activated upon loss of power, manually by a single switch accessible to building management or firefighting personnel, and automatically by activation of the building's fire alarm system.

A telephone or other two-way communications system connected to an approved constantly attended location shall be provided at not less than every fifth floor in each stairway where the doors to the stairway are locked. If this option is selected, the building must comply with these requirements by January 1, 2006.

(b) Regardless of which option is selected under subsection (a), stairwell enclosure doors at the main egress level of the building shall remain unlocked from the stairwell enclosure side at all times.

(c) Building owners that select the option under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) must comply with the following requirements during the time necessary to install a lock release system and the two-way communication system:

(1) Re-entry into the building interior shall be possible at all times on the highest story or second highest story, whichever allows access to another exit stair;

(2) There shall not be more than 4 stories intervening between stairwell enclosure doors that provide access to another exit stair;

(3) Doors allowing re-entry shall be identified as such on the stair side of the door;

(4) Doors not allowing re-entry shall be provided with a sign on the stair side indicating the location of the nearest exit, in each direction of travel that allows re-entry; and

(5) The information required to be posted on the door under paragraphs (3) and (4) of this subsection, shall be posted at eye level and at the bottom of the door.

(d) A home rule unit may not regulate stairwell door access in a manner less restrictive than the regulation by the State of stairwell door access under this Act. This subsection (d) is a limitation under subsection (i) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the concurrent exercise by home rule units of powers and functions exercised by the State.

(425 ILCS 55/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 3503)

Sec. 3. The Office of the State Fire Marshal shall have power to enforce this Act. The Office of the State Fire Marshal and the mayor, or other corporate authorities of the town or city, may close and prohibit all public buildings, hereafter erected, from being used in violation of this Act.

(Source: P.A. 82-783.)