Public Act 103-0761
 
SB2702 EnrolledLRB103 36180 RPS 66272 b

    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act is 
amended by changing Sections 10 and 17 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.
    "Fire protection system layout documents" means layout 
drawings, catalog information on standard products, 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. 
    "Fire sprinkler contractor" means a person who holds 
himself or herself out to be in the business of providing 
service for a fire sprinkler system or contracts with a person 
to provide service for a fire sprinkler system.
    "Fire sprinkler contractor license" means a license issued 
to a qualified fire sprinkler contractor.
    "Fire sprinkler inspector" means an individual who is 
qualified to perform routine inspection or testing of fire 
sprinkler systems pursuant to Section 17 and who is employed 
or contracted by a single fire sprinkler contractor at a time 
to perform fire sprinkler inspections.
    "Fire sprinkler inspector license" means a license issued 
to a qualified fire sprinkler inspector. 
    "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.
    "Office" means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
    "Person" means an individual, group of individuals, 
association, trust, partnership, corporation, limited 
liability company, firm, business, 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.
    "Responsible managing employee" means the individual 
designated by the fire sprinkler contractor that is not 
required to have a designated certified person under Section 
120.
    "Routine inspection or testing" means inspection or 
testing to verify the condition of an existing fire sprinkler 
system at predetermined intervals in accordance with the 
standards of the National Fire Protection Association. 
    "Rules" means the rules adopted pursuant to this Act.
    "Service" means work on a fire sprinkler system, 
including, but not limited to, installation, repair, 
inspection, testing, and maintenance, within the scope of this 
Act.
    "Standards" means those standards or codes referenced in 
this Act or its rules. 
    "Supervision" means the direction and management by a 
designated certified person or responsible managing employee 
of the activities of non-certified personnel in the service of 
fire sprinkler systems.
(Source: P.A. 102-612, eff. 8-27-21.)
 
    (225 ILCS 317/17)
    Sec. 17. Fire sprinkler inspector license; application; 
minimum qualifications for routine inspection or testing.
    (a) Any individual who performs routine inspection or 
testing of any fire sprinkler system under this Act shall: (i) 
be employed by a single licensed fire sprinkler contractor at 
a time to perform fire sprinkler inspections; and (ii) meet 
the minimum qualifications of this Section except where the 
individual is exempted by subsection (c).
    Beginning January 1, 2024, any individual who performs 
routine inspection or testing of any fire sprinkler system 
under this Act shall be individually licensed and possess on 
his or her person a fire sprinkler inspector license including 
a photo identification issued by the Office.
    A person applying for an initial fire sprinkler inspector 
license or renewing a fire sprinkler inspector license shall 
demonstrate to the Office proof of minimum qualifications as 
required by subsection (b) of this Section, except where the 
individual is exempted by subsection (c).
    (b) Any individual who performs routine inspection or 
testing of any fire sprinkler system under this Act shall 
possess proof of:
        (1) current certification by a nationally recognized 
    certification organization, such as NICET certification in 
    Inspection and Testing of Water Based Systems, at an 
    appropriate level, or the equivalent; on or after the 
    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General 
    assembly through December 31, 2022, an appropriate level 
    in NICET certification in Inspection and Testing of Water 
    Based Systems shall be level II; on and after January 1, 
    2023, an appropriate level in NICET certification in 
    Inspection and Testing of Water Based Systems shall be 
    level III;
        (2) current ASSE 15010 certification in inspection, 
    testing, and maintenance for water-based fire protection 
    systems by the American Society of Sanitary Engineering; 
    or
        (3) satisfactory completion of a certified sprinkler 
    fitter apprenticeship program approved by the U.S. 
    Department of Labor. 
    (c) The following are exemptions to the licensing 
requirements of this Section:
        (1) State employees who perform routine inspection or 
    testing on behalf of State institutions and who meet the 
    requirements of subsection (b) need not be licensed under 
    this Section or employed by a fire sprinkler contractor 
    under this Act in order to perform routine inspection or 
    testing duties while engaged in the performance of their 
    official duties.
        (2) The requirements of this Section do not apply to 
    individuals performing inspection or testing of fire 
    sprinkler systems on behalf of a municipality, a county, a 
    fire department, a fire protection district, or the Office 
    while engaged in the performance of their official duties. 
        (3) The requirements of this Section do not apply to a 
    stationary engineer, operating engineer, or other 
    individual employed on a full-time basis by the facility 
    owner or owner's representative performing weekly and 
    monthly inspections and tests in accordance with 
    applicable standards adopted under the rules.
    (d) Each fire sprinkler inspector shall be subject to the 
requirements for license renewal and continuing education 
under Section 35.
    (e) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an 
individual who is licensed as a fire sprinkler inspector from 
being employed by another employer or self-employed to perform 
duties that would not require a fire sprinkler inspector 
license. 
(Source: P.A. 102-612, eff. 8-27-21.)