SB2549eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB2549 Engrossed LRB096 16563 ASK 31836 b

AN ACT concerning professional regulation.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Plumbing License Law is amended by changing Sections 2 and 35 as follows:

(225 ILCS 320/2) (from Ch. 111, par. 1102)

Sec. 2. When used in this Act:

"Agent" means a person designated by a sponsor as responsible for supervision of an apprentice plumber and who is also an Illinois licensed plumber.

"Apprentice plumber" means any licensed person who is learning and performing plumbing under the supervision of a sponsor or his agent in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

"Approved apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and the Department under rules.

"Board" means the Illinois State Board of Plumbing Examiners.

"Building drain" means that part of the lowest horizontal piping of a drainage system that receives the discharge from soil, waste, and other drainage pipes inside the walls of a building and conveys it to 5 feet beyond the foundation walls where it is connected to the building sewer.

"Building sewer" means that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system that extends from the end of the building drain, receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to a public sewer or private sewage disposal system.

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Director" means the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

"Governmental unit" means a city, village, incorporated town, county, or sanitary or water district.

"Irrigation contractor" means a person who installs or supervises the installation of lawn sprinkler systems subject to Section 2.5 of this Act, other than a licensed plumber or a licensed apprentice plumber.

"Irrigation employee" means a person who is employed by a registered irrigation contractor or a licensed plumber, and who designs, repairs, alters, maintains, or installs lawn sprinkler systems that are subject to Section 2.5 of this Law.

"Lawn sprinkler system" means any underground irrigation system of lawn, shrubbery and other vegetation from any potable water sources; and from any water sources, whether or not potable. "Lawn sprinkler system" includes without limitation the water supply piping, valves, control systems, low voltage wiring, sprinkler heads or other irrigation outlets, and moisture or rainfall sensing equipment, but does not include the backflow prevention device. "Lawn sprinkler system" does not include an irrigation system used primarily for agricultural purposes.

"Person" means any natural person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association.

"Plumber" means any licensed person authorized to perform plumbing as defined in this Act, but does not include retired plumbers as defined in this Act.

"Plumbing" means the actual installation, repair, maintenance, alteration or extension of a plumbing system by any person.

"Plumbing" includes all piping, fixtures, appurtenances and appliances for a supply of water for all purposes, including without limitation lawn sprinkler systems and backflow prevention devices connected to lawn sprinkler systems, from the source of a private water supply on the premises or from the main in the street, alley or at the curb to, within and about any building or buildings where a person or persons live, work or assemble.

"Plumbing" includes rainwater harvesting distribution systems. Rainwater harvesting distribution systems shall be for non-potable use only. "Plumbing" does not include any rainwater harvesting distribution system or rainwater harvesting collection system unless otherwise required by the Illinois Plumbing Code. Rainwater harvesting distribution systems shall be constructed in accordance with the Illinois Plumbing Code.

"Plumbing" includes all piping, from discharge of pumping units to and including pressure tanks in water supply systems.

"Plumbing" includes all piping, fixtures, appurtenances, and appliances for a building drain and a sanitary drainage and related ventilation system of any building or buildings where a person or persons live, work or assemble from the point of connection of such building drain to the building sewer or private sewage disposal system 5 feet beyond the foundation walls.

"Plumbing" does not mean or include the trade of drain-laying, the trade of drilling water wells which constitute the sources of private water supplies, and of making connections between such wells and pumping units in the water supply systems of buildings served by such private water supplies, or the business of installing water softening equipment and of maintaining and servicing the same, or the business of manufacturing or selling plumbing fixtures, appliances, equipment or hardware, or to the installation and servicing of electrical equipment sold by a not-for-profit corporation providing electrification on a cooperative basis, that either on or before January 1, 1971, is or has been financed in whole or in part under the federal Rural Electrification Act of 1936 and the Acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, to its members for use on farms owned by individuals or operated by individuals, nor does it mean or include minor repairs which do not require changes in the piping to or from plumbing fixtures or involve the removal, replacement, installation or re-installation of any pipe or plumbing fixtures. Plumbing does not include the installation, repair, maintenance, alteration or extension of building sewers, or the installation, repair, or maintenance of rainwater harvesting collection systems unless otherwise required by the Illinois Plumbing Code.

"Plumbing contractor" means any person who performs plumbing, as defined in this Act, for another person. "Plumbing contractor" shall not include licensed plumbers and licensed apprentice plumbers who either are employed by persons engaged in the plumbing business or are employed by another person for the performance of plumbing solely for that other person, including, but not limited to, a hospital, university, or business maintenance staff.

"Plumbing fixtures" means installed receptacles, devices or appliances that are supplied with water or that receive or discharge liquids or liquid borne wastes, with or without discharge into the drainage system with which they may be directly or indirectly connected.

"Plumbing system" means the water service, water supply and distribution pipes; plumbing fixtures and traps; soil, waste and vent pipes; building drains; including their respective connections, devices and appurtenances.

"Plumbing system" does not include building sewers as defined in this Act.

"Rainwater harvesting collection system" is a system for the capture, diversion, and storage of rainwater and consists of one or more cisterns, pipe, fittings, and appurtenances required for or used to harvest rainwater for non-potable purposes. These systems must be constructed in accordance with the Illinois Plumbing Code.

"Rainwater harvesting distribution system" is a system for the distribution of rainwater collected by an approved rainwater harvesting collection system. This system consists of pumps, pipe, fittings or other plumbing appurtenances and must be constructed in accordance with the Illinois Plumbing Code.

"Retired plumber" means any licensed plumber in good standing who meets the requirements of this Act and the requirements prescribed by Department rule to be licensed as a retired plumber and voluntarily surrenders his plumber's license to the Department, in exchange for a retired plumber's license. Retired plumbers cannot perform plumbing as defined in this Act, cannot sponsor or supervise apprentice plumbers, and cannot inspect plumbing under this Act. A retired plumber cannot fulfill the requirements of subsection (3) of Section 3 of this Act.

"Supervision" with respect to first and second year licensed apprentice plumbers means that such apprentices must perform all designing and planning of plumbing systems and all plumbing as defined in this Act under the direct personal supervision of the sponsor or his or her agent who must also be an Illinois licensed plumber, except for maintenance and repair work on existing plumbing systems done by second year apprentice plumbers; provided that before performing any maintenance and repair work without such supervision, such apprentice has received the minimum number of hours of annual classroom instruction recommended by the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training for apprentice plumbers in a Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training approved plumber apprenticeship program or its equivalent. "Supervision" with respect to all other apprentice plumbers means that, except for maintenance and repair work on existing plumbing systems, any plumbing done by such apprentices must be inspected daily, after initial rough-in and after completion by the sponsor or his or her agent who is also an Illinois licensed plumber. In addition, all repair and maintenance work done by a licensed apprentice plumber on an existing plumbing system must be approved by the sponsor or his or her agent who is also an Illinois licensed plumber.

"Sponsor" is an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program that has accepted an individual as an Illinois licensed apprentice plumber for education and training in the field of plumbing and whose name and license number or apprenticeship program number shall appear on the individual's application for an apprentice plumber's license.

"Sponsored" means that each Illinois licensed apprentice plumber has been accepted by an Illinois licensed plumber or an approved apprenticeship program for apprenticeship training.

"Telecommunications carrier" means a telecommunications carrier as defined in the Public Utilities Act.

(Source: P.A. 94-101, eff. 1-1-08.)

(225 ILCS 320/35) (from Ch. 111, par. 1133)

Sec. 35. The Department shall promulgate and publish and may from time to time amend a minimum code of standards for plumbing and the fixtures, materials, design and installation methods of plumbing systems based upon the findings of the sciences of pneumatics and hydraulics, after consideration of the recommendations of the Plumbing Code Advisory Council. The Department may promulgate and publish rules in the State's minimum code of standards for the minimum number of plumbing fixtures required for the comfort and convenience of workers and the public not inconsistent with, but not limited to, the requirements of the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, the Equitable Restrooms Act, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Safety and Health Administration. The Department shall adopt and publish a minimum code of standards for rainwater harvesting collection systems and rainwater harvesting distribution systems by March 1, 2011. The minimum code of standards for plumbing and any amendments thereto shall be filed with the Secretary of State as a public record. In preparing plumbing code standards and amendments thereto the Department may give consideration to the recommendations contained in nationally recognized plumbing codes and recommendations of nationally recognized material and equipment testing laboratories. The plumbing code promulgated by the Department under authority of this Act shall remain in effect as the minimum code authorized by this Act until the Department promulgates a new code under authority of this Act. At least 20 days' notice of a public hearing shall be given by the Department in a manner which the Department considers adequate to bring the hearing to the attention of persons interested in plumbing code standards. Notice of any public hearing shall be given by the Department to those who file a request for a notice of hearings.

(Source: P.A. 87-885.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.