HB5528eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB5528 Engrossed LRB097 17545 KMW 62750 b

AN ACT concerning safety.

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

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the First Informer Broadcasters Act.

Section 5. Definitions.

"Broadcaster" means a radio broadcasting station, cable operator, or television broadcasting station primarily engaged in, and deriving income from, the business of facilitating speech via over-the-air communications, both as to pure speech and commercial speech.

"First informer broadcaster" means a person who has been certified as a first informer broadcaster pursuant to Section 15 of this Act.

Section 10. Broadcasters. Broadcasters in this State may, in cooperation with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and the Illinois Broadcasters Association, or its successor organization, develop comprehensive, coordinated plans for preparing for and responding appropriately to an emergency or disaster.

Section 15. First informer broadcasters; training and certification.

(a) Any Statewide organization, or any member of a Statewide organization, that represents broadcasters, cable television communications, or any other provider that uses emerging technologies may establish a program for training and certifying broadcast engineers and technical personnel as first informer broadcasters. Each program established pursuant to this subsection must:

(i) be consistent with federal law and guidelines;

(ii) provide training and education concerning restoring, repairing and resupplying any facilities and equipment of a broadcaster in an area affected by an emergency or disaster; and

(iii) provide training and education concerning the personal safety of a first informer broadcaster in an area affected by an emergency or disaster.

(b) To the extent practicable and consistent with not endangering public safety or inhibiting recovery efforts, State and local governmental agencies shall allow a first informer broadcaster access to an area affected by an emergency or disaster for the purpose of restoring, repairing, or resupplying any facility or equipment critical to the ability of a broadcaster to acquire, produce, and transmit essential emergency or disaster-related public information programming, including, without limitation, repairing and maintaining transmitters and generators, and transporting fuel for generators.

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