HB1217ham001 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Robert Rita

Filed: 3/19/2013

09800HB1217ham001 LRB098 06891 MGM 43560 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1217

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1217 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Regulatory Sunset Act is amended by changing Section 4.24 and by adding Section 4.34 as follows:

(5 ILCS 80/4.24)

Sec. 4.24. Acts and Section repealed on January 1, 2014. The following Acts and Section of an Act are repealed on January 1, 2014:

The Electrologist Licensing Act.

The Illinois Certified Shorthand Reporters Act of 1984.

The Illinois Occupational Therapy Practice Act.

The Illinois Public Accounting Act.

The Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004.

The Registered Surgical Assistant and Registered Surgical Technologist Title Protection Act.

Section 2.5 of the Illinois Plumbing License Law.

The Veterinary Medicine and Surgery Practice Act of 2004.

(Source: P.A. 97-1139, eff. 12-28-12.)

(5 ILCS 80/4.34 new)

Sec. 4.34. Section repealed on January 1, 2024. The following Section of an Act is repealed on January 1, 2024:

Section 2.5 of the Illinois Plumbing License Law.

Section 10. The Illinois Plumbing License Law is amended by changing Sections 2 and 2.5 as follows:

(225 ILCS 320/2) (from Ch. 111, par. 1102)

Sec. 2. When used in this Act:

"Agent" means a person designated by a sponsor as responsible for supervision of an apprentice plumber and who is also an Illinois licensed plumber.

"Apprentice plumber" means any licensed person who is learning and performing plumbing under the supervision of a sponsor or his agent in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

"Approved apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and the Department under rules.

"Board" means the Illinois State Board of Plumbing Examiners.

"Building drain" means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system that receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of a building and conveys it to 5 feet beyond the foundation walls where it is connected to the building sewer.

"Building sewer" means that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system that extends from the end of the building drain, receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to a public sewer or private sewage disposal system.

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Director" means the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Governmental unit" means a city, village, incorporated town, county, or sanitary or water district.

"Irrigation contractor" means a person who installs or supervises the installation of lawn sprinkler systems subject to Section 2.5 of this Act, other than a licensed plumber or a licensed apprentice plumber.

"Irrigation employee" means a person who is employed or seeks to be employed by a registered irrigation contractor or a licensed plumber, and who designs, repairs, alters, maintains, or installs lawn sprinkler systems that are subject to Section 2.5 of this Law.

"Lawn sprinkler system" means any underground irrigation system of lawn, shrubbery and other vegetation from any potable water sources; and from any water sources, whether or not potable. "Lawn sprinkler system" includes without limitation the water supply piping, valves, control systems, low voltage wiring, sprinkler heads or other irrigation outlets, and moisture or rainfall sensing equipment, but does not include the backflow prevention device. "Lawn sprinkler system" does not include an irrigation system used primarily for agricultural purposes.

"Person" means any natural person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association.

"Plumber" means any licensed person authorized to perform plumbing as defined in this Act, but does not include retired plumbers as defined in this Act.

"Plumbing" means the actual installation, repair, maintenance, alteration or extension of a plumbing system by any person.

"Plumbing" includes all piping, fixtures, appurtenances and appliances for a supply of water for all purposes, including without limitation lawn sprinkler systems and backflow prevention devices connected to lawn sprinkler systems, from the source of a private water supply on the premises or from the main in the street, alley or at the curb to, within and about any building or buildings where a person or persons live, work or assemble.

"Plumbing" includes all piping, from discharge of pumping units to and including pressure tanks in water supply systems.

"Plumbing" includes all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances for a building drain and a sanitary drainage and related ventilation system of any building or buildings where a person or persons live, work or assemble from the point of connection of such building drain to the building sewer or private sewage disposal system 5 feet beyond the foundation walls.

"Plumbing" does not mean or include the trade of drain-laying, the trade of drilling water wells which constitute the sources of private water supplies, and of making connections between such wells and pumping units in the water supply systems of buildings served by such private water supplies, or the business of installing water softening equipment and of maintaining and servicing the same, or the business of manufacturing or selling plumbing fixtures, appliances, equipment or hardware, or to the installation and servicing of electrical equipment sold by a not-for-profit corporation providing electrification on a cooperative basis, that either on or before January 1, 1971, is or has been financed in whole or in part under the federal Rural Electrification Act of 1936 and the Acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, to its members for use on farms owned by individuals or operated by individuals, nor does it mean or include minor repairs which do not require changes in the piping to or from plumbing fixtures or involve the removal, replacement, installation or re-installation of any pipe or plumbing fixtures. Plumbing does not include the installation, repair, maintenance, alteration or extension of building sewers.

"Plumbing contractor" means any person who performs plumbing, as defined in this Act, for another person. "Plumbing contractor" shall not include licensed plumbers and licensed apprentice plumbers who either are employed by persons engaged in the plumbing business or are employed by another person for the performance of plumbing solely for that other person, including, but not limited to, a hospital, university, or business maintenance staff.

"Plumbing fixtures" means installed receptacles, devices or appliances that are supplied with water or that receive or discharge liquids or liquid borne wastes, with or without discharge into the drainage system with which they may be directly or indirectly connected.

"Plumbing system" means the water service, water supply and distribution pipes; plumbing fixtures and traps; soil, waste and vent pipes; building drains; including their respective connections, devices and appurtenances.

"Plumbing system" does not include building sewers as defined in this Act.

"Retired plumber" means any licensed plumber in good standing who meets the requirements of this Act and the requirements prescribed by Department rule to be licensed as a retired plumber and voluntarily surrenders his plumber's license to the Department, in exchange for a retired plumber's license. Retired plumbers cannot perform plumbing as defined in this Act, cannot sponsor or supervise apprentice plumbers, and cannot inspect plumbing under this Act. A retired plumber cannot fulfill the requirements of subsection (3) of Section 3 of this Act.

"Supervision" with respect to first and second year licensed apprentice plumbers means that such apprentices must perform all designing and planning of plumbing systems and all plumbing as defined in this Act under the direct personal supervision of the sponsor or his or her agent who must also be an Illinois licensed plumber, except for maintenance and repair work on existing plumbing systems done by second year apprentice plumbers; provided that before performing any maintenance and repair work without such supervision, such apprentice has received the minimum number of hours of annual classroom instruction recommended by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training for apprentice plumbers in a Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training approved plumber apprenticeship program or its equivalent. "Supervision" with respect to all other apprentice plumbers means that, except for maintenance and repair work on existing plumbing systems, any plumbing done by such apprentices must be inspected daily, after initial rough-in and after completion by the sponsor or his or her agent who is also an Illinois licensed plumber. In addition, all repair and maintenance work done by a licensed apprentice plumber on an existing plumbing system must be approved by the sponsor or his or her agent who is also an Illinois licensed plumber.

"Sponsor" is an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program that has accepted an individual as an Illinois licensed apprentice plumber for education and training in the field of plumbing and whose name and license number or apprenticeship program number shall appear on the individual's application for an apprentice plumber's license.

"Sponsored" means that each Illinois licensed apprentice plumber has been accepted by an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program for apprenticeship training.

"Telecommunications carrier" means a telecommunications carrier as defined in the Public Utilities Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-101, eff. 1-1-08.)

(225 ILCS 320/2.5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2014)

Sec. 2.5. Irrigation contractors; lawn sprinkler systems.

(a) Every irrigation contractor doing business in this State shall annually register with the Department. Every irrigation contractor shall provide to the Department his or her business name and address, telephone number, name of principal, FEIN number, and an original certificate of insurance documenting that the irrigation contractor carries general liability insurance with a minimum of $100,000 per occurrence, bodily injury insurance with a minimum of $300,000 per occurrence, property damage insurance with a minimum of $50,000, and worker's compensation insurance with a minimum of $500,000. No registration may be issued in the absence of the certificate of insurance. The certificate must be in force at all times for registration to remain valid.

On a form provided by the Department, every irrigation contractor must provide to the Department an indemnification bond in the amount of $20,000 or an irrevocable letter of credit from a financial institution guaranteeing that funds shall be available only to the Department and shall be released upon written notification by the Department in the same amount for any work on lawn sprinkler systems performed by the registered irrigation contractor. The letter of credit shall be printed on the letterhead of the issuing financial institution, be signed by an officer of the same financial institution, name the Department as the sole beneficiary, and expire on February 28 of each year.

Every irrigation contractor doing business in this State shall also register with the Department each and every employee who installs or supervises the installation of lawn sprinkler systems. The registration shall include the employee's name, home address, and telephone number. The Department may provide by rule for the administration of registrations under this subsection. The annual registration fee shall be set by the Department pursuant to Section 30 of this Act. Each registered irrigation contractor must provide proof that he or she employs at least one irrigation employee who has completed and passed an approved class in the design and installation of lawn sprinkler systems. Nothing in this Act shall prohibit a bona fide labor organization from registering a person as an irrigation employee with the Department.

(b) A licensed plumber or licensed apprentice plumber may install a lawn sprinkler system connected to any water source without registration under this Section.

(c) A licensed plumber shall inspect every sprinkler system installed by an irrigation contractor to ensure the provisions of this Section have been met and that the system works mechanically. A licensed plumber shall make the physical connection between a lawn sprinkler system and the backflow prevention device.

Upon the installation of every lawn sprinkler system in this State from the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly forward, a licensed plumber shall affix to the backflow prevention device a tag certifying that the installation of that system has been completed in compliance with the minimum code of plumbing standards promulgated under this Act. The Department shall provide by rule for the registration of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly, including the means by which the Department shall be able to identify by registration number the identity of the responsible irrigation contractor and by license number the identity of the responsible licensed plumber. No lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly may be operated without the certification tag required under this Section.

The registered irrigation contractor and the licensed plumber whose identifying information is contained on the certification tag shall both be subject to the penalty provisions of this Act for violations for improper installation of a lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly.

(d) An irrigation contractor who has registered with the Department 5 7 or fewer persons who are authorized to install or supervise the installation of lawn sprinkler systems shall either employ or contract with at least one licensed plumber who shall install or be responsible for the installation of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. The licensed plumber shall inspect the risers and sprinkler heads before backfilling.

An irrigation contractor who has registered with the Department 6 8 to 10 12 persons who are authorized to install or supervise the installation of lawn sprinkler systems shall either employ or contract with at least 2 licensed plumbers who shall install or be responsible for the installation of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. A licensed plumber shall inspect the risers and sprinkler heads before backfilling.

An irrigation contractor who has registered with the Department 11 13 to 15 20 persons who are authorized to install or supervise the installation of lawn sprinkler systems shall either employ or contract with at least 3 licensed plumbers who shall install or be responsible for the installation of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. A licensed plumber shall inspect the risers and sprinkler heads before backfilling.

An irrigation contractor who has registered with the Department 16 21 to 20 28 persons who are authorized to install or supervise the installation of lawn sprinkler systems shall either employ or contract with at least 4 licensed plumbers who shall install or be responsible for the installation of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. A licensed plumber shall inspect the risers and sprinkler heads before backfilling.

An irrigation contractor who has registered with the Department 21 29 to 25 35 persons who are authorized to install or supervise the installation of lawn sprinkler systems shall either employ or contract with at least 5 licensed plumbers who shall install or be responsible for the installation of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. A licensed plumber shall inspect the risers and sprinkler heads before backfilling.

An irrigation contractor who has registered with the Department 26 36 or more persons who are authorized to install or supervise the installation of lawn sprinkler systems shall either employ or contract with at least 6 licensed plumbers who shall install or be responsible for the installation of every lawn sprinkler system installed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 98th General Assembly this amendatory Act of the 91st General Assembly. A licensed plumber shall inspect the risers and sprinkler heads before backfilling.

The Department may provide by rule for the temporary waiver process for registered irrigation contractors who are unable to comply with the requirements of this subsection. When a temporary waiver is granted, it shall not be for a duration of more than 3 consecutive months. Upon the expiration of a temporary waiver issued by the Department, the registered irrigation contractor shall demonstrate that justifiable reasons exist why he or she is still unable to comply with the requirements of this subsection, despite good faith efforts to comply with the requirements. In no case shall a temporary waiver be granted for an irrigation contractor for more than a total of 6 months in a two-year period. In no case shall an irrigation contractor be relieved of the requirement that a licensed plumber shall inspect every sprinkler system installed by an irrigation contractor to ensure the provisions of this Section have been met and that the system works mechanically and make the physical connection between a sprinkler system and the backflow prevention device.

(e) No person shall attach to a lawn sprinkler system any fixture intended to supply water for human consumption.

No person shall attach to a lawn sprinkler system any fixture other than the backflow prevention device, sprinkler heads, valves, and other parts integral to the operation of the system, unless the fixture is clearly marked as being for non-potable uses only.

(f) A college, university, trade school, vocational school, or association that has established a program providing a course of instruction in lawn sprinkler design and installation may submit a letter to the Department requesting approval of its program or course of instruction.

The request for approval shall include information on the curriculum offered by the program and the qualifications of the organization. The course shall consist of a minimum of 2 days of classroom education and an exam and shall include a provision for continuing education.

The Department shall evaluate the curriculum and organization before making a determination to approve or deny a request for approval.

In addition to providing to the Department the names of licensed plumbers who are employed by or contract with an irrigation contractor, an irrigation contractor must also provide to the Department the names of employees who have successfully completed an approved course on the installation of lawn sprinkler systems and proof that the course was successfully completed and that continuing education is also being completed.

(g) All automatically operated lawn sprinkler systems shall have furnished and installed technology that inhibits or interrupts operation of the landscape irrigation system during periods of sufficient moisture or rainfall. The technology must be adjustable either by the end user or the irrigation contractor.

This subsection (g) does not apply to systems operating on golf courses or agricultural lands.

The requirements of this subsection (g) apply to all landscape irrigation systems installed after January 1, 2009.

(Source: P.A. 94-101, eff. 1-1-08; 95-421, eff. 1-1-09.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.".