HB4342enr 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4342 Enrolled LRB094 12779 LCB 47623 b

AN ACT concerning property.

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

Section 5. The Mobile Home Park Act is amended by adding Section 9.15 and changing Section 21 as follows:

(210 ILCS 115/9.15 new)

Sec. 9.15. Fire safety. All private water supply systems and hydrants for fire safety purposes in existence on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly shall be maintained in operable condition and good repair as defined by the State Fire Marshal or mobile home park licensing agency. A mobile home park that does not have a private water supply system and hydrants shall have an agreement, approved by the State Fire Marshal or licensing agency in consultation with the municipal fire department or the local fire protection district, to provide an adequate and reliable water supply for fire mitigation needs. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to mandate a mobile home park, constructed prior to 1998, to install new water supply systems or hydrants for fire safety purposes.

Each mobile home park shall be inspected annually pursuant to the applicable mobile home park fire protection standards by the municipal fire department or fire protection district that has jurisdictional responsibility for responding to a fire call in that park. As used in this Section, "applicable mobile home park fire protection standards" means (i) in the case of a home rule unit, the fire protection standards ordinance of the municipality or fire protection district that has jurisdictional responsibility for responding to a fire call in that park or (ii) if there is no ordinance or in the case of a non-home rule unit, the rules adopted by the Office of the State Fire Marshal for fire safety in mobile home parks. If, upon inspection, the municipal fire department or fire protection district finds that a park does not meet the applicable fire protection standards, the municipal fire department or fire protection district shall give within 5 working days of the inspection a written notice of violation to the licensee and to the Department of Public Health of any violation or required modification or repair. The licensee has 30 days after receipt of the written notice to correct the violation or make the required modification or repair. Not less than 30 days after the licensee's receipt of the notice, the municipal fire department or fire protection district shall reinspect the park and issue a written reinspection report to the licensee and to the Department of Public Health concerning the status of the licensee's compliance with the notice and whether any violation still exists. If the municipal fire department or fire protection district determines on reinspection that a licensee has made a good faith and substantial effort to comply with the notice but that compliance is not complete, the municipal fire department or fire protection district may grant the licensee an extension of time for compliance, as they deem fit, by a written notice of extension of time for compliance issued within 5 working days after the reinspection that identifies what remains to be corrected, modified, or repaired and a date by which compliance must be achieved. If an extension is granted, the municipal fire department or fire protection district shall make another inspection within 10 days after the date set for compliance and issue a final written report to the licensee and the Department of Public Health concerning the status of the licensee's compliance with the notice, written report, and written notice of extension of time for compliance and whether a violation still exists. If a licensee fails to cure the violation or comply with the requirements stated in the notice of violation, or if a written notice of extension of time for compliance is issued and the final written report states that a violation still exists, the municipal fire department or fire protection district shall notify the Department of Public Health of the licensee's failure to comply with the notice of violation and the written report and shall deliver to the Department for purposes of enforcement under this Section copies of all written notices and reports concerning the violation.

Upon receipt of the written reports concerning the violation, the Department shall issue to the licensee a notice of intent to assess civil penalties in the amount of $500 per day, per violation for non-compliance with the written notice of violation issued by the municipal fire department or fire protection district and provide the licensee with the opportunity for an administrative hearing pursuant to the provisions of Section 22 of this Act.

Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section, the enforcement of home rule ordinances and regulations shall be by the appropriate local authorities, including local public health departments, municipal attorneys, and State's Attorneys.

A home rule unit may not regulate the legal rights, remedies, and obligations of a licensee under this Section in a manner less restrictive than the regulation by the State of fire safety in a mobile home park under this Section. This Section 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 function exercised by the State.

This Section does not apply to any mobile home park located within a home rule county if the home rule county actively regulates mobile home parks.

(210 ILCS 115/21) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 731)

Sec. 21. The Department shall enforce the provisions of this Act and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto affecting health, sanitation, water supply, sewage, garbage, fire safety, and waste disposal, and the Department shall inspect, at least once each year, each mobile home park and all the accommodations and facilities therewith. Such officials or officers are hereby granted the power and authority to enter upon the premises of such parks at any time for the purposes herein set forth.

The Department may issue rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such rules may contain provisions for the Department to grant a waiver to a mobile home park, if the intent and purpose of the Act are met.

The Department is empowered to assess civil penalties for violations of Section 9.15 of this Act. Civil penalties in the amount of $500 per day, per violation shall be assessed for non-compliance with the written notice of violation issued by a municipal fire department or fire protection district. An additional civil penalty of $500 per day of violation shall be assessed against a licensee who knowingly rents or offers for rent a mobile home or mobile home site without taking appropriate corrective action to remedy a notice of violation issued by a municipal fire department or fire protection district. The first day of violation for purposes of assessing a fine shall be the date of the licensee's receipt of the written report following the reinspection, if the written report states that a violation still exists. If a written notice of extension of time for compliance is issued and the final written report states that a violation still exists, the first day of violation for purposes of assessing a fine shall be the date of the licensee's receipt of the final written report. The Department shall deposit all fees and fines collected under this Act into the Facility Licensing Fund. Moneys in the Fund, subject to appropriation, shall be used for the enforcement of this Act.

In the administration and enforcement of this Act, the Department may designate and use full-time city or county health departments as its agents in making inspections and investigations.

(Source: P.A. 85-565.)