103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3392

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Joe C. Sosnowski

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
40 ILCS 5/4-110.1  from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-110.1
40 ILCS 5/6-151.1  from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-151.1
30 ILCS 805/8.47 new

    Amends the Downstate Firefighter and Chicago Firefighter Articles of the Illinois Pension Code. Adds an impairment or condition resulting from a bloodborne pathogen, contagious staph infection, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), lung or respiratory disease or condition, vascular disease or condition, hypertension, cancer resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial), or hearing loss to the list of diseases for which certain firefighters may be eligible for an occupational disease disability pension. Provides that any condition or impairment of health of a firefighter that results directly or indirectly from any bloodborne pathogen, contagious staph infection, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), lung or respiratory disease or condition, heart or vascular disease or condition, hypertension, tuberculosis, cancer resulting in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial), or hearing loss is rebuttably presumed to have resulted from service as a firefighter. Makes a conforming change. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement.


LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3392LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1    AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by
5changing Sections 4-110.1 and 6-151.1 as follows:
 
6    (40 ILCS 5/4-110.1)  (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-110.1)
7    Sec. 4-110.1. Occupational disease disability pension.
8The General Assembly finds that service in the fire department
9requires firefighters in times of stress and danger to perform
10unusual tasks; that firefighters are subject to exposure to
11extreme heat or extreme cold in certain seasons while
12performing their duties; that they are required to work in the
13midst of and are subject to heavy smoke fumes, and
14carcinogenic, poisonous, toxic or chemical gases from fires;
15and that these conditions exist and arise out of or in the
16course of employment.
17    An active firefighter with 5 or more years of creditable
18service who is found, pursuant to Section 4-112, unable to
19perform his or her duties in the fire department by reason of
20heart disease, stroke, tuberculosis, or any disease of the
21lungs or respiratory tract, any impairment or condition
22resulting from a bloodborne pathogen, contagious staph
23infection, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus

 

 

HB3392- 2 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1aureus (MRSA), lung or respiratory disease or condition,
2vascular disease or condition, hypertension, cancer resulting
3in any disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial),
4or hearing loss resulting from service as a firefighter, is
5entitled to an occupational disease disability pension during
6any period of such disability for which he or she has no right
7to receive salary.
8    Any active firefighter who has completed 5 or more years
9of service and is unable to perform his or her duties in the
10fire department by reason of a disabling cancer, which
11develops or manifests itself during a period while the
12firefighter is in the service of the fire department, shall be
13entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit
14during any period of such disability for which he or she does
15not have a right to receive salary. In order to receive this
16occupational disease disability benefit, (i) the type of
17cancer involved must be a type which may be caused by exposure
18to heat, radiation or a known carcinogen as defined by the
19International Agency for Research on Cancer and (ii) the
20cancer must (and is rebuttably presumed to) arise as a result
21of service as a firefighter.
22    Any condition or impairment of health of a firefighter
23that results directly or indirectly from any bloodborne
24pathogen, contagious staph infection, including
25Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), lung or
26respiratory disease or condition, heart or vascular disease or

 

 

HB3392- 3 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1condition, hypertension, tuberculosis, cancer resulting in any
2disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial), or
3hearing loss is rebuttably presumed to have resulted from
4service as a firefighter.
5    A firefighter who enters the service after August 27, 1971
6shall be examined by one or more practicing physicians
7appointed by the board. If the examination discloses
8impairment of the heart, lungs or respiratory tract, or the
9existence of any cancer, the firefighter shall not be entitled
10to the occupational disease disability pension unless and
11until a subsequent examination reveals no such impairment or
12cancer.
13    The occupational disease disability pension shall be equal
14to the greater of (1) 65% of the salary attached to the rank
15held by the firefighter in the fire service at the time of his
16or her removal from the municipality's fire department payroll
17or (2) the retirement pension that the firefighter would be
18eligible to receive if he or she retired (but not including any
19automatic annual increase in that retirement pension).
20    The firefighter is also entitled to a child's disability
21benefit of $20 a month for each natural or legally adopted
22unmarried child less than age 18 dependent upon the
23firefighter for support. The total child's disability benefit
24when added to the occupational disease disability pension
25shall not exceed 75% of the firefighter's salary at the time of
26the grant of occupational disease disability pension.

 

 

HB3392- 4 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1    The occupational disease disability pension is payable to
2the firefighter during the period of the disability. If the
3disability ceases before the death of the firefighter, the
4disability pension payable under this Section shall also cease
5and the firefighter thereafter shall receive such pension
6benefits as are provided in accordance with other provisions
7of this Article.
8    If a firefighter dies while still disabled and receiving a
9disability pension under this Section, the disability pension
10shall continue to be paid to the firefighter's survivors in
11the sequence provided in Section 4-114. A pension previously
12granted under Section 4-114 to a survivor of a firefighter who
13died while receiving a disability pension under this Section
14shall be deemed to be a continuation of the pension provided
15under this Section and shall be deemed to be in the nature of
16worker's occupational disease compensation payments. The
17changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of 1995 are
18intended to be retroactive and are not limited to persons in
19service on or after its effective date.
20    The child's disability benefit shall terminate if the
21disability ceases while the firefighter is alive or when the
22child or children attain age 18 or marry, whichever event
23occurs first, except that benefits payable on account of a
24child under this Section shall not be reduced or terminated by
25reason of the child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is then
26dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability but

 

 

HB3392- 5 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1shall continue to be paid as long as such dependency
2continues. Individuals over the age of 18 and adjudged as a
3disabled person pursuant to Article XIa of the Probate Act of
41975, except for persons receiving benefits under Article III
5of the Illinois Public Aid Code, shall be eligible to receive
6benefits under this Act.
7(Source: P.A. 93-1090, eff. 3-11-05.)
 
8    (40 ILCS 5/6-151.1)   (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 6-151.1)
9    Sec. 6-151.1. The General Assembly finds and declares that
10service in the Fire Department requires that firemen, in times
11of stress and danger, must perform unusual tasks; that by
12reason of their occupation, firemen are subject to exposure to
13great heat and to extreme cold in certain seasons while in
14performance of their duties; that by reason of their
15employment firemen are required to work in the midst of and are
16subject to heavy smoke fumes and carcinogenic, poisonous,
17toxic or chemical gases from fires; and that in the course of
18their rescue and paramedic duties firemen are exposed to
19disabling infectious diseases, including AIDS, hepatitis C,
20and stroke. The General Assembly further finds and declares
21that all the aforementioned conditions exist and arise out of
22or in the course of such employment.
23    Any active fireman who has completed 7 or more years of
24service and is unable to perform his duties in the Fire
25Department by reason of heart disease, tuberculosis, any

 

 

HB3392- 6 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1disease of the lungs or respiratory tract, AIDS, hepatitis C,
2stroke, or a contagious staph infection, including
3methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), disease or
4condition resulting from any bloodborne pathogen, vascular
5disease or condition, hypertension, cancer resulting in any
6disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial), or
7hearing loss resulting from his service as a fireman, shall be
8entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit
9during any period of such disability for which he does not have
10a right to receive salary.
11    Any active fireman who has completed 7 or more years of
12service and is unable to perform his duties in the fire
13department by reason of a disabling cancer, which develops or
14manifests itself during a period while the fireman is in the
15service of the department, shall be entitled to receive an
16occupational disease disability benefit during any period of
17such disability for which he does not have a right to receive
18salary. In order to receive this occupational disease
19disability benefit, the type of cancer involved must be a type
20which may be caused by exposure to heat, radiation or a known
21carcinogen as defined by the International Agency for Research
22on Cancer.
23    Any condition or impairment of health of a firefighter
24that results directly or indirectly from any bloodborne
25pathogen, contagious staph infection, including
26Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), lung or

 

 

HB3392- 7 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1respiratory disease or condition, heart or vascular disease or
2condition, hypertension, tuberculosis, cancer resulting in any
3disability (temporary, permanent, total, or partial), or
4hearing loss is rebuttably presumed to have resulted from
5service as a fireman.
6    Any fireman receiving a retirement annuity shall be
7entitled to an occupational disease disability benefit under
8this Section if the fireman (1) has not reached the age of
9compulsory retirement, (2) has not been receiving a retirement
10annuity for more than 5 years, and (3) has a condition that
11would have qualified the fireman for an occupational disease
12disability benefit under this Section if he or she was an
13active fireman. A fireman who receives an occupational disease
14disability benefit in accordance with this paragraph may not
15receive a retirement annuity during the period in which he or
16she receives an occupational disease disability benefit. The
17occupational disease disability benefit shall terminate upon
18the fireman reaching the age of compulsory retirement.
19    Any fireman who shall enter the service after the
20effective date of this amendatory Act shall be examined by one
21or more practicing physicians appointed by the Board, and if
22that examination discloses impairment of the heart, lungs, or
23respiratory tract, or the existence of AIDS, hepatitis C,
24stroke, cancer, or a contagious staph infection, including
25methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), then the
26fireman shall not be entitled to receive an occupational

 

 

HB3392- 8 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1disease disability benefit unless and until a subsequent
2examination reveals no such impairment, AIDS, hepatitis C,
3stroke, cancer, or contagious staph infection, including
4methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
5    The occupational disease disability benefit shall be 65%
6of the fireman's salary at the time of his removal from the
7Department payroll. However, beginning January 1, 1994, no
8occupational disease disability benefit that has been payable
9under this Section for at least 10 years shall be less than 50%
10of the current salary attached from time to time to the rank
11and grade held by the fireman at the time of his removal from
12the Department payroll, regardless of whether that removal
13occurred before the effective date of this amendatory Act of
141993.
15    Such fireman also shall have a right to receive child's
16disability benefit of $30 per month on account of each
17unmarried child who is less than 18 years of age or
18handicapped, dependent upon the fireman for support, and
19either the issue of the fireman or legally adopted by him. The
20total amount of child's disability benefit payable to the
21fireman, when added to his occupational disease disability
22benefit, shall not exceed 75% of the amount of salary which he
23was receiving at the time of the grant of occupational disease
24disability benefit.
25    The first payment of occupational disease disability
26benefit or child's disability benefit shall be made not later

 

 

HB3392- 9 -LRB103 30124 RPS 56548 b

1than one month after the benefit is granted. Each subsequent
2payment shall be made not later than one month after the date
3of the latest payment.
4    Occupational disease disability benefit shall be payable
5during the period of the disability until the fireman reaches
6the age of compulsory retirement. Child's disability benefit
7shall be paid to such a fireman during the period of disability
8until such child or children attain age 18 or marry, whichever
9event occurs first; except that attainment of age 18 by a child
10who is so physically or mentally handicapped as to be
11dependent upon the fireman for support, shall not render the
12child ineligible for child's disability benefit. The fireman
13thereafter shall receive such annuity or annuities as are
14provided for him in accordance with other provisions of this
15Article.
16(Source: P.A. 102-91, eff. 7-9-21; 102-1064, eff. 6-10-22.)
 
17    Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
18Section 8.47 as follows:
 
19    (30 ILCS 805/8.47 new)
20    Sec. 8.47. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and
218 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for
22the implementation of any mandate created by this amendatory
23Act of the 103rd General Assembly.