Public Act 103-0220
 
SB1611 EnrolledLRB103 27270 AWJ 53641 b

    AN ACT concerning government.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Firefighter Training Leave of Absence Act.
 
    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
    "Agency" means any branch, department, board, committee,
or commission of State government. "Agency" does not include a
unit of local government, school district, or board of
election commissioners.
    "State employee" means a permanent, full-time employee who
has been employed by an agency for a period of 6 months or more
and is a member of any fire department or fire protection
district recognized by the State Fire Marshal.
 
    Section 10. Leave of absence for firefighter training.
    (a) A State employee shall be granted leave from his or her
State employment for firefighter training as follows:
        (1) on one occasion, for up to 200 hours, to
    participate in training necessary to obtain Basic
    Operations Firefighter certification from the State Fire
    Marshal while attending a State Fire Marshal-approved fire
    academy; and
        (2) special or advanced training annually, not to
    exceed 80 hours, after obtaining Basic Operations
    Firefighter certification from the State Fire Marshal for
    courses that will lead to additional certification by the
    State Fire Marshal.
    (b) The maximum leaves of absence under this Act for any
calendar year may not exceed 200 hours. During a leave of
absence, the employee's seniority and other benefits shall
continue to accrue.
    (c) During a leave of absence for basic, special, or
advanced training, the State employee shall continue to
receive his or her regular compensation as a State employee.
If the State employee receives compensation for basic,
special, or advanced training, the State employee shall
receive his or her regular compensation as a State employee
minus the amount of his or her compensation for basic,
special, or advanced training.
    (d) A State employee who wishes to obtain a leave of
absence under this Act shall request in advance for the leave
of absence and may take the leave of absence only after
obtaining approval from the State employee's agency. A leave
of absence may not be denied to a State employee who requests
leave under this Section and who has provided notification of
the leave at least 14 calendar days prior to the requested
leave date. A State employee who provides less than 14
calendar days' notice of the leave may be denied leave if the
State employee's agency demonstrates that the leave would
create a health or safety hazard in the workplace. If the leave
is denied, written notification must be provided to the
employee within 24 hours after the employee's request for
leave. Once the leave has been approved, approval for the
leave may not be rescinded.
 
    Section 15. Rules. The Department of Central Management
Services and the Comptroller shall adopt joint rules to
develop procedures for the implementation of this Act.

Effective Date: 1/1/2024