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LEGISLATIVE UPDATE –JUNE 2008
By Margaret Vaughn, IFA Lobbyist
LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION A SUCCESS
 Once again lawmakers and IFA members flashed back to the ‘70s at the annual IFA Legislative Disco Reception. We tried a new venue this year, Charles and Limey’s Steakhouse and it was very well received. I would like to extend a special thanks to the IFA members who made the special trip to Springfield to attend.   
click pictures to enlarge
END OF SESSION BUDGET
The General Assembly wrapped up its spring session on time adjourned just before midnight on May 31st. FY 09 budget conceived by Senate and House Democratic leaders includes $2.1 billion in new state spending over last year. The Senate passed a series of bills to fund and create a $34 billion statewide capital construction program which included leasing the lottery and gambling expansion. These funding mechanisms were rejected in the House, effectively killing the capital construction bill. The Governor announced he would be calling the four legislative leaders back to negotiating meetings to balance the budget and the Speaker of the House has already indicated he would not attend personally. Hopefully this will not turn into the marathon session of last summer!
POLITICAL LIMBO
In another attack at the Governor, the Speaker of the House tacked on “anti-rulemaking” amendments on every bill that affected a state agency. The amendments said all rules could not be done by the Agency but must come back to the General Assembly for approval. Since the Senate President is aligned with the Governor, the Senate President either stripped these amendments off or refused to advance them. As a result hundreds of bills are still caught in a gigantic game of political chicken.
IFA STILL FINDS SUCCESS
Even though bills were dying around us, IFA managed to pass the following important pieces of legislation which will soon be sent to the Governor for his signature.
FAKE FIRE SAFETY DEVICES
HB 4683 – Rep. Elaine Nektritz (D-Des Plaines) – Sen. Mike Noland (D-Elgin) Creates the Fire and Life Safety Device Act. Provides that the manufacture, installation, or sale of any device or object that reasonably appears to be a smoke detector, sprinkler head, carbon monoxide alarm, heat detector, or any other similar device used for life safety or fire protection that is, in fact, neither designed nor capable of performing such life safety or fire protection function, is prohibited. Establishes penalties for violations of the Act. Provides that inspectors employed by municipalities, fire protection districts, and counties and those individuals who meet the certification requirements of the Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act may inspect such devices to ensure compliance with the Act.
FIRE SPRINKLER GRANTS
HB 4687 – Rep. Boland – Sen. Frerichs. Provides that the board of trustees of any fire protection district may establish a program to award grants to owners of single family residential property who install and maintain fire sprinkler systems.
MOBILE HOME PARKS
SB 2434 – Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) – Rep. Bob Flider (D-Decatur) Current law requires mobile home park owners, who do not have an onsite water supply, to notify their local fire departments and put together an agreement for water mitigation needs. The current law did not have an enforcement component in place for this provision. SB 2434 would require the local fire chief and mobile home park owner to sign this agreement and have a copy in place at both the local fire department and onsite visible to the public at the mobile home park site. SB 2434 would also require the local fire chief and mobile home park owner to certify that this agreement exists on the applications for a new license or annual license renewal with the Illinois Department of Public Health.
BURN INJURY REPORTING ACT
SB 2252 – Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) - Rep. Mitchell (R-Decatur) At the request of the Arson Investigators, IFA worked towards the passage of legislation in 2006 to create the Burn Injury Reporting Act. This created a mechanism of hospitals to report certain burn injuries to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. The reason the bill was needed was because many of the individuals running meth labs, along with arsonists, would suffer burn injuries but not be treated at a local hospital and instead travel out of the community for treatment in order to evade arson investigators. To see how the Act would fair, there was a 2 year sunset on it so they Act would expire at the beginning of 2009. SB 2252 removes the sunset provision so the Act will permanently stay on the books.
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Below is an overview of some of the other bills that IFA supported which passed both the House and Senate.
TRUSTEE TRAINING REIMBURSEMENT
HB 4674 – Rep. Don Moffitt (R-Galesburg) – Sen. Dale Risinger (R-Peoria) Allows for reimbursement for FPD Trustees who attend administration training approved by the OSFM.
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LEMON LAW
SB 2422 – Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago)-Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) Amends the New Vehicle Buyer Protection Act (Lemon Law) to include vehicles purchased by a fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department in the definition of "vehicle" and includes a fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department in the definition of "consumer".
SHIB’s LAW
SB 2488 – Sen. Gary Forby (D-Benton) -Rep. John Bradley (D-Marion) In the absence of law enforcement or representative of a highway agency, gives on legislation to give fire departments the authority to close traffic lanes as a safety precaution. The legislation also increases the penalties for reckless homicide if the offense is committed as a result of failing to follow the procedures required when approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle and adds additional penalties for multiple deaths. Also requires the fire department to use an official fire department vehicle with lighted red or white oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights. The legislation was precipitated by the death of Shib Miller, a volunteer fighter with the Sessor Fire Department last year.
FPDs TRUSTEES ABSENT FROM REGULAR EMPLOYMENT
SB 2748 – Sen. Mike Noland (D-Elgin)-Rep. Don Moffitt (D-Galesburg) . Provides that any elected or appointed trustee of a fire protection district is entitled to be absent from his or her employment during meetings of the board of trustees of the district. Provides that the employer is not required to compensate the trustee for time that the trustee is absent.
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