102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
HB4165

 

Introduced 10/19/2021, by Rep. Kelly M. Cassidy, Sonya M. Harper, Robyn Gabel, Rita Mayfield, Margaret Croke, et al.

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Lake Michigan Rescue Equipment Act. Provides that the owner of a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall install public rescue equipment, including, at a minimum, ring life buoys, on each of the owner's piers and drop-offs along the Lake Michigan coast. Provides that public rescue equipment shall also be installed in all high-incident drowning areas on an owner's property. Includes requirements for ring life buoys. Provides that each unit of local government owning a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall track and report to the Department of Public Health, in a form prescribed by the Department, Lake Michigan lakefront drownings, both fatal and non-fatal drownings, near the unit's piers and drop-offs. Includes tracking and reporting requirements. Provides that the Department shall analyze the tracking and reporting and appropriately provide a plan and recommendations for reduction in drowning incidents. Defines terms. Effective 180 days after becoming law.


LRB102 20009 AWJ 28935 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4165LRB102 20009 AWJ 28935 b

1    AN ACT concerning water safety.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Lake
5Michigan Rescue Equipment Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7    "Drop-off" means the areas of a lake's shoreline where a
8paved path or rocks allows direct public access to the water.
9    "High-incident drowning area" means an area where more
10than one drowning incident has occurred in the span of 5 years.
11    "Public rescue equipment" includes a range of water rescue
12devices available for public use in case of emergency, such as
13life rings, throw bags, rescue tubes, and rescue poles.
14    "Pier" means a platform supported on pillars or girders
15leading out from the shore into a lake.
 
16    Section 10. Public rescue equipment on piers and
17drop-offs.
18    (a) The owner of a pier or drop-off on Lake Michigan shall
19install public rescue equipment, including, at a minimum, ring
20life buoys, on each of the owner's piers and drop-offs along
21the Lake Michigan coast. The ring life buoy must not be
22permanently secured in any way to the station, rack, or pier.

 

 

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1Each ring life buoy must be stowed inside a station to protect
2it from constant weather exposure. The station must be a
3bright orange or yellow color for high visibility and to allow
4for quick access to the ring.
5    To reduce vandalism and theft, the station shall have an
6alarm when opened and signage that warns lakefront patrons
7that they are on camera and tampering with or misuse of public
8rescue equipment is strictly prohibited. Additionally, on
9piers in high-incident drowning areas, stations shall
10automatically alert 911 when the ring life buoys are pulled
11from their mounting stations.
12    Public rescue equipment shall also be installed in all
13high-incident drowning areas on an owner's property and shall
14be in accordance with the Royal National Lifeboat
15Institution's "A Guide to Coastal Public Rescue Equipment".
16    (b) The owner of the pier or drop-off shall oversee the
17installation and maintenance of the public rescue equipment.
18The State or unit of local government owning a pier or drop-off
19shall also provide public education regarding public rescue
20equipment.
 
21    Section 15. Ring life buoy requirements. Ring life buoys
22installed as required in Section 10 must meet the following:
23        (1) The ring life buoy shall meet the requirements of
24    46 CFR 160.050 or 46 CFR 160.150 for SOLAS-approved
25    equipment or successor standards issued by the United

 

 

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1    States Coast Guard.
2        (2) There shall be attached to each ring life buoy a
3    buoyant line of at least 100 inches length, with a
4    breaking strength of at least 5 kilonewton. The end of the
5    line must not be secured to the shore.
6        (3) Each ring life buoy shall be marked with type II
7    retroreflective material meeting the requirements of 46
8    CFR 164.018.
9        (4) Each ring life buoy shall be placed at a distance
10    not to exceed 200 feet from the shoreline of the lake and
11    be readily available for emergency rescue operations.
 
12    Section 20. Tracking, reporting, and analyzing drownings.
13Each unit of local government owning a pier or drop-off on Lake
14Michigan shall track and report to the Department of Public
15Health, in a form prescribed by the Department, Lake Michigan
16lakefront drownings, both fatal and non-fatal drownings, near
17the unit's piers and drop-offs. Such tracking and reporting
18shall include, at a minimum, access to and use of public rescue
19equipment, location, temperature, time of day, conditions,
20demographics, swimming ability, and type of entry into the
21water. Based on this tracking and reporting, the Department
22shall analyze the tracking and reporting and appropriately
23provide a plan and recommendations for reduction in drowning
24incidents.
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect 180 days

 

 

HB4165- 4 -LRB102 20009 AWJ 28935 b

1after becoming law.