HB1175sam001 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Michael W. Frerichs

Filed: 5/4/2009

09600HB1175sam001 LRB096 07359 ASK 25106 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 1175

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 1175 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 5. The Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act is amended by changing Sections 10 and 30 as follows:

(225 ILCS 317/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:

"Designated certified person" means an individual who has met the qualifications set forth under Section 20 of this Act.

"Fire protection system layout documents" means layout drawings, catalog information on standard products, supplemental calculations, and other construction data that provide detail on the location of risers, cross mains, branch lines, sprinklers, piping per applicable standard, and hanger locations. "Fire protection system layout documents" serve as a guide for fabrication and installation of a fire sprinkler system and shall be based upon applicable standards pursuant to Section 30 of this Act. Fire protection system layout documents do not require an engineering seal if prepared by a technician who holds a valid NICET level 3 or 4 certification in fire protection technology automatic sprinkler system layout.

"Fire sprinkler contractor" means a person who holds himself or herself out to be in the business of or contracts with a person to install or repair a fire sprinkler system.

"Fire sprinkler system" means any water-based automatic fire extinguishing system employing fire sprinklers, including accessory fire pumps and associated piping, fire standpipes, or underground fire main systems starting at the connection to the water service after the approved backflow device is installed under the requirements of the Illinois Plumbing Code and ending at the most remote fire sprinkler. "Fire sprinkler system" includes but is not limited to a fire sprinkler system in a residential, commercial, institutional, educational, public, or private occupancy. "Fire sprinkler system" does not include single sprinkler heads that are in a loop of the potable water system, as referenced in 77 Ill. Adm. Code 890.1130 and 890.1200.

"Licensee" means a person or business organization licensed in accordance with this Act.

"NICET" means the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies.

"Person" means an individual, group of individuals, association, trust, partnership, corporation, person doing business under an assumed name, the State of Illinois, or department thereof, any other state-owned and operated institution, or any other entity.

"Supervision" means the direction and management by a designated certified person of the activities of non-certified personnel in the installation or repair of fire sprinkler systems.

(Source: P.A. 94-367, eff. 1-1-06.)

(225 ILCS 317/30)

Sec. 30. Requirements for the installation, repair, inspection, and testing of fire protection systems.

(a) Equipment shall be listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. or Factory Mutual Laboratories, Inc., or shall comply with nationally accepted standards. The State Fire Marshal shall adopt by rule procedures for determining whether a laboratory is nationally recognized, taking into account the laboratory's facilities, procedures, use of nationally recognized standards, and any other criteria reasonably calculated to reach an informed determination.

(b) Equipment shall be installed in accordance with the applicable standards of the National Fire Protection Association and the manufacturer's specifications.

(c) The contractor shall furnish the user with operating instructions for all equipment installed, together with a diagram of the final installation.

(d) All fire sprinkler systems shall have a backflow prevention device or, in a municipality with a population over 500,000, a double detector check assembly installed by a licensed plumber before the fire sprinkler system connection to the water service. Connection to the backflow prevention device or, in a municipality with a population over 500,000, a double detector assembly shall be done in a manner consistent with the Department of Public Health's Plumbing Code.

(e) This licensing Act is not intended to require any additional fire inspections at State level.

(f) Inspections and testing of existing fire sprinkler systems and control equipment must be performed by a licensee or an individual employed or contracted by a licensee. Any individual who performs inspection and testing duties under this subsection (f) must possess proof of (i) certification by a nationally recognized certification organization at an appropriate level, such as NICET Level II in Inspection and Testing of Water Based Systems or the equivalent, by January 1, 2009 or (ii) satisfactory completion of a certified sprinkler fitter apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. State employees who perform inspections and testing on behalf of State institutions and who meet all other requirements of this subsection (f) need not be licensed under this Act or employed by a licensee under this Act in order to perform inspection and testing duties under this subsection (f). The requirements of this subsection (f) do not apply to individuals performing inspections or testing of fire sprinkler systems on behalf of a municipality, a county, a fire protection district, or the Office of the State Fire Marshal. This subsection (f) does not apply to cursory weekly and monthly inspections of gauges and control valves conducted in accordance with the standards of the National Fire Protection Association.

A copy of the inspection report for an inspection performed pursuant to this subsection (f) must be forwarded by the entity performing the inspection to the local fire department or fire protection district in which the sprinkler system is located.

(Source: P.A. 95-305, eff. 8-20-07.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2010.".