093_SB0751ham001 LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 751 2 AMENDMENT NO. . Amend Senate Bill 751 by replacing 3 everything after the enacting clause with the following: 4 "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 5 Balanced Fire Protection Act. 6 Section 5. Findings. Fires that could have been 7 prevented or contained tragically cut down students in the 8 prime of their lives. College dormitories and student housing 9 pose a significant fire risk. A high density of students 10 within a building requires early warning detection and alarm, 11 fire control, and fire containment via fire-resistive walls 12 and floors. Students require time for safe escape and, if 13 necessary, temporary refuge. Containing fire spread with 14 acoustically sound fire-resistive construction provides a 15 critical cornerstone to the safety and well-being of 16 students. Subdividing a facility with fire-resistive 17 construction allows for extra time to escape, provides a 18 temporary area of refuge, and allots time for emergency 19 responders to effectuate rescue. Subdivision of spaces with 20 building materials with high sound-limiting properties 21 enhances fire performance of the construction element. 22 Fire-resistive construction does not contribute to the fire -2- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 loading or add toxic quantities of smoke and gases. 2 Fire-resistive construction withstands the heat and ravages 3 of fire as well as the impact of water from fire department 4 hose streams. This protects occupants and fire fighters from 5 structurally weakened construction 6 Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: 7 "Automatic sprinkler system" means a sprinkler system, 8 for fire protection purposes, that is an integrated system of 9 underground and overhead piping designed in accordance with 10 fire protection engineering standards. This system includes a 11 suitable water supply. The portion of the system above ground 12 is a network of specially or hydraulically designed piping 13 installed in a building, to which the automatic sprinklers 14 are connected in a systematic pattern. The system is usually 15 activated by heat from a fire and discharges water over the 16 fire area. 17 "Building" means any structure used or intended for 18 supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy. 19 "Building code" means the provisions adopted by a unit of 20 local government governing the construction, alteration, 21 movement, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, use 22 and occupancy, location, maintenance, removal, and demolition 23 of buildings or structures or any appurtenances connected or 24 attached to a building or structure. 25 "Combustible" refers to a material that, in the form in 26 which it is used and under the conditions anticipated, will 27 ignite and burn; the term means a material that does not meet 28 the definition of noncombustible. 29 "Dormitory" or "student housing" means a building or a 30 space in a building in which group sleeping accommodations 31 are provided for more than 16 persons who are not members of 32 the same family in one room or a series of closely associated 33 rooms under joint occupancy and single management, with or -3- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 without meals, but without individual cooking facilities. 2 "Existing building" means a building erected, or 3 officially authorized to be constructed by the authority 4 having jurisdiction to approve the construction, before the 5 effective date of this Act. 6 "Fire compartment" means a space within a building that 7 is enclosed by fire partitions on all sides, including the 8 top and bottom. 9 "Fire partition" means a 2-hour noncombustible 10 fire-resistive vertical fire separation assembly designed to 11 restrict the spread of fire, in which openings are protected. 12 "Fire resistance rating" means the period of time that a 13 building element, component, or assembly maintains the 14 ability to confine a fire, withstands a hose stream for the 15 equivalent time period of the fire exposure, and continues to 16 perform a given structural function as determined by the test 17 methods prescribed in ASTM E 119, Standard Methods of Tests 18 of Fire Endurance of Building Construction and Materials. 19 "Fire-resistive construction" means construction in which 20 the structural elements are of steel, iron, concrete, or 21 masonry, in accordance with the applicable building code. 22 "New construction" means a building or construction 23 erected, or officially authorized to be constructed by the 24 authority having jurisdiction to approve the construction, 25 after the effective date of this Act. 26 "Noncombustible material" refers to a material that, in 27 the form in which it is used and under the conditions 28 anticipated, will not ignite, burn, support combustion, or 29 release flammable vapors when subjected to fire or heat. 30 Materials that are reported as passing ASTM E 136, Standard 31 Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube 32 Furnace at 750 degrees Celsius, are considered noncombustible 33 materials. 34 "Sound transmission coefficient" means the value assigned -4- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 to a material's ability to minimize sound transmission. 2 Section 15. Regulation. 3 (a) The State Fire Marshal shall take appropriate steps 4 to ensure that the following requirements, specifically 5 designed to foster fire-safe housing provisions protecting 6 the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this 7 State, are incorporated into local building codes: 8 (1) All new construction housing students shall be 9 of noncombustible fire-resistive construction in 10 accordance with the applicable building code, except that 11 buildings protected with an automatic sprinkler system 12 and in compliance with paragraph (2) may be of any 13 construction type allowed by the applicable building 14 code. 15 (2) A fire partition is required in connection with 16 all of the following in all new buildings and 17 construction or portions thereof constituting a 18 dormitory or student housing: 19 (A) Between each individual living unit, to 20 form a fire compartment. 21 (B) All exit corridors. 22 (C) All exit stairways. 23 (D) Occupancy separations in accordance with 24 the applicable building code. 25 (E) Exterior load-bearing walls. 26 (F) Interior load-bearing walls. 27 (3) Openings in fire partitions must be protected 28 in accordance with the applicable building code but no 29 less than 90 minutes fire-protection rating. 30 (4) Fire partitions must have a sound transmission 31 coefficient of 50 or more. 32 (5) Buildings protected with an automatic sprinkler 33 system and in compliance with paragraphs (1) and (2) -5- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 shall be allowed to be of unlimited area, and their 2 height may be increased by up to 25% more than the height 3 of similar buildings that are not protected with an 4 automatic sprinkler system or are not in compliance with 5 paragraphs (1) and (2). 6 (6) All floor assemblies in a new dormitory or new 7 student housing must have a minimum 2-hour 8 fire-resistance rating and be of noncombustible 9 construction. 10 (b) The requirements of subsection (a) are designed for 11 use throughout the State and have particular application to 12 dormitories and student housing. 13 (c) The provisions of this Act apply to new buildings 14 and to construction begun after the effective date of this 15 Act related to alterations and remodeling that requires a 16 building permit. 17 Section 20. Enforcement. Local authorities having 18 jurisdiction to enforce building codes shall enforce the 19 provisions of this Act. 20 Section 25. Exemptions. Existing buildings and areas of 21 existing buildings that are not subject to remodeling, 22 alterations, or an increase in height or floor area are 23 exempt from the provisions of this Act. 24 Section 30. Uniformity. 25 (a) If any provision of this Act is in conflict with any 26 other provision, limitation, or restriction under any law, 27 rule, regulation, or ordinance of this State or any unit of 28 local government or agency, this Act shall control. 29 (b) This Act does not supersede State or local 30 requirements for sprinklers, early warning detection, fire 31 alarm systems, or other life safety systems. -6- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 Section 90. The School Code is amended by adding Section 2 2-3.131 and changing Section 3-14.20 as follows: 3 (105 ILCS 5/2-3.131 new) 4 Sec. 2-3.131. Inspection and review of school 5 facilities; task force. 6 (a) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for 7 the documentation of school plan reviews and inspections of 8 school facilities, including the responsible individual's 9 signature. Such documents shall be kept on file by the 10 regional superintendent of schools. 11 (b) The State Board of Education shall convene a task 12 force for the purpose of reviewing the documents required 13 under rules adopted under subsection (a) of this Section and 14 making recommendations regarding training and accreditation 15 of individuals performing reviews or inspections required 16 under Section 2-3.12, 3-14.20, 3-14.21, or 3-14.22 of this 17 Code, including regional superintendents of schools and 18 others performing reviews or inspections under the authority 19 of a regional superintendent (such as consultants, 20 municipalities, and fire protection districts). 21 The task force shall consist of all of the following 22 members: 23 (1) The Executive Director of the Capital 24 Development Board or his or her designee. 25 (2) The State Superintendent of Education or his or 26 her designee. 27 (3) A person appointed by the State Board of 28 Education. 29 (4) A person appointed by the Illinois Statewide 30 School Management Alliance. 31 (5) A person appointed by ED-RED. 32 (6) A person appointed by the American Institute of 33 Architects Illinois. -7- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 (7) The Chairman of the Illinois Building 2 Commission or his or her designee. 3 (8) A person appointed by the Illinois Association 4 of Regional Superintendents of Schools. 5 (9) A person appointed by the Illinois Fire 6 Inspectors Association. 7 (10) A person appointed by the Illinois Council of 8 Code Administrators. 9 (11) A person appointed by the Illinois Plumbing 10 Inspectors Association. 11 (12) A person appointed by the Illinois Congress of 12 Parents and Teachers. 13 (13) A person appointed by the Illinois Municipal 14 League. 15 The task force shall issue a report of its findings to 16 the Governor and the General Assembly no later than June 30, 17 2004. 18 (105 ILCS 5/3-14.20) (from Ch. 122, par. 3-14.20) 19 Sec. 3-14.20. Building plans and specifications. To 20 inspect the building plans and specifications, including but 21 not limited to plans and specifications for the heating, 22 ventilating, lighting, seating, water supply, toilets and 23 safety against fire of public school rooms and buildings 24 submitted to him by school boards, and to approve all those 25 which comply substantially with the building code authorized 26 in Section 2-3.12. 27 If a municipality or, in the case of an unincorporated 28 area, a county or, if applicable, a fire protection district 29 wishes to be notified of plans and specifications received by 30 a regional office of education for any future construction or 31 alteration of a public school facility located within that 32 entity's jurisdiction, then the entity must register this 33 wish with the regional superintendent of schools. Within 10 -8- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 days after the regional superintendent of schools receives 2 the plans and specifications from a school board and prior to 3 the bidding process, he or she shall notify, in writing, the 4 registered municipality and, if applicable, the registered 5 fire protection district where the school that is being 6 constructed or altered lies that plans and specifications 7 have been received. In the case of an unincorporated area, 8 the registered county shall be notified. If the municipality, 9 fire protection district, or county requests a review of the 10 plans and specifications, then the school board shall submit 11 a copy of the plans and specifications. The municipality and, 12 if applicable, the fire protection district or the county may 13 comment in writing on the plans and specifications based on 14 the building code authorized in Section 2-3.12, referencing 15 the specific code where a discrepancy has been identified, 16 and respond back to the regional superintendent of schools 17 within 15 days after a copy of the plans and specifications 18 have been received or, if needed for plan review, such 19 additional time as agreed to by the regional superintendent 20 of schools.The local fire department or fire protection21district where the school is being constructed or altered may22request a review of the plans and specifications. The23regional superintendent of schools shall submit a copy of the24plans and specifications within 10 business days after the25request. The fire department or fire protection district may26comment on the plans and specifications based on the building27code authorized in Section 2-3.12 of the Code and, if any28corrective action must be taken, shall respond to the29regional superintendent of schools within 15 days after30receipt of the plans and specifications. The Office of the31State Fire Marshal may review the plans and specifications at32the request of the fire department or fire protection33district. The review must be conducted at no cost to the34school district.-9- LRB093 03103 AMC 17104 a 1 If such plans and specifications are not approved or 2 denied approval by the regional superintendent of schools 3 within 3 months after the date on which they are submitted to 4 him or her, the school board may submit such plans and 5 specifications directly to the State Superintendent of 6 Education for approval or denial. 7 (Source: P.A. 92-593, eff. 1-1-03.) 8 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 9 becoming law.".