HB1362eng 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1362 Engrossed LRB097 05231 RLJ 45281 b

AN ACT concerning local government.

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

Section 5. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by changing Section 11a as follows:

(70 ILCS 705/11a) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 31a)

Sec. 11a. The Board of Trustees of any fire protection district organized hereunder may contract with any corporation organized to furnish fire protection service or with any association organized to furnish fire protection service or with any city, village, incorporated town, or organized fire protection district lying adjacent to such district for fire protection service to be furnished by such corporation or such association or such municipality or fire protection district for the property within such district or to be furnished by such district for the property within such municipality. The board of trustees may also contract for the installation, rental or use of fire hydrants within the fire protection district and for the furnishing of water to be used within such district for fire protection purposes, and for mutual aid from and to other fire protection districts, and for mutual aid from and to corporations and associations organized to furnish fire protection service and for mutual aid from and to municipalities.

A municipality's fiscal obligations for fire protection services under a contract with a fire protection district entered into under this Section shall comply with the Local Government Prompt Payment Act. If a municipality fails to make a payment within 90 days, an interest penalty of 1% of any amount approved and unpaid shall be added for each 90 days or fraction thereof after the expiration of the 90 day period, until final payment is made. In the case of an action in court to collect delinquent fees from a contract for services between a municipality and a fire protection district, the losing party shall pay all reasonable legal fees incurred in the proceeding.

When the Board of Trustees of a Fire Protection District purchases fire protection services from an organization (specifically including without limitation a city, village, incorporated town, or adjacent fire protection district) that is required to be audited by "An Act in relation to audits of the accounts of certain governmental units and to repeal an Act therein named", approved May 10, 1967, or by The Illinois Municipal Auditing Law, the scope of the audit of the organization providing the fire protection services shall be expanded to require the licensed public accountant performing the audit to specifically report on compliance with the terms of the contract as it relates to financial matters, including but not limited to the amount charged to the purchasing Fire Protection District. To the extent possible, the financial statements of the providing organization shall segregate accounts relating to fire protection service transactions and present them as a separate fund or as a separate department within a fund. A copy of the providing organization audit report shall be furnished to the purchasing Fire Protection District within 6 months after the close of the fiscal year of the organization providing the fire protection services.

When the Board of Trustees of a Fire Protection District purchases fire protection services from an organization (specifically including without limitation a not-for-profit corporation or a for-profit corporation or association) that is not required to be audited by "An Act in relation to audits of the accounts of certain governmental units and to repeal an Act therein named", approved May 10, 1967, or by The Illinois Municipal Auditing Law, the organization providing the fire protection services shall employ a person licensed to practice public accounting under the laws of this State to annually audit the providing organization's financial statements of all accounts, funds, and other moneys in the care, custody, or control of the providing organization. Such audit shall be conducted in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards and the scope of such audit shall be expanded to require the licensed public accountant performing the audit to specifically report on compliance with the terms of the contract as it relates to financial matters, including but not limited to the amount charged to the purchasing Fire Protection District. To the extent possible, the financial statements of the providing organization shall segregate accounts relating to fire protection service transactions and present them as a separate fund or as a separate department within a fund. A copy of the providing organization audit report shall be furnished to the purchasing Fire Protection District within 6 months after the close of the fiscal year of the organization providing the fire protection services. Within 15 days after the first meeting of the board of directors or trustees of the organization providing the fire protection services that occurs after receiving the audit report, the organization providing the fire protection services shall publish excerpts from the audit report that relate to fire protection service operations in accordance with Section 7 of this Act. When fire protection services are rendered in more than one geographic area, publication or distribution should be made in each geographic area served.

(Source: P.A. 86-216; 86-1023.)

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