Full Text of HB5485 101st General Assembly
HB5485 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
| | 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020 HB5485 Introduced , by Rep. Bradley Stephens SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: |
| 5 ILCS 840/5 | | 5 ILCS 840/10 | |
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Amends the First Responders Suicide Prevention Act. Provides that peer support advisors shall also receive
appropriate training in identifying the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and to respond appropriately to individuals exhibiting those symptoms. Provides that "post-traumatic stress disorder" has the meaning defined by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board in its implementation of its training in post-traumatic stress disorder under the Illinois Police Training Act.
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| | A BILL FOR |
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| | | HB5485 | | LRB101 18254 RLC 67698 b |
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| 1 | | AN ACT concerning government.
| 2 | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
| 3 | | represented in the General Assembly:
| 4 | | Section 5. The First Responders Suicide Prevention Act is | 5 | | amended by changing Sections 5 and 10 as follows: | 6 | | (5 ILCS 840/5)
| 7 | | Sec. 5. Definitions. In this Act: | 8 | | "Emergency services provider" means any public employer | 9 | | that employs persons to provide firefighting services. | 10 | | "Emergency services personnel" means any employee of an | 11 | | emergency services provider who is engaged in providing | 12 | | firefighting services. | 13 | | "Law enforcement agency" means any county sheriff, | 14 | | municipal police department, police department established by | 15 | | a university, the Department of State Police, the Department of | 16 | | Corrections, the Department of Children and Family Services, | 17 | | the Division of Probation Services of the Supreme Court, the | 18 | | Office of the Statewide 9-1-1 Administrator, and other local or | 19 | | county agency comprised of county probation officers, | 20 | | corrections employees, or 9-1-1 telecommunicators or emergency | 21 | | medical dispatchers. | 22 | | "Peer support advisor" means an employee, approved by the | 23 | | law enforcement agency or the emergency provider, who |
| | | HB5485 | - 2 - | LRB101 18254 RLC 67698 b |
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| 1 | | voluntarily provides confidential support and assistance to | 2 | | fellow employees experiencing personal or professional | 3 | | problems , including post-traumatic stress disorder . An | 4 | | emergency services provider or law enforcement agency shall | 5 | | provide peer support advisors with an appropriate level of | 6 | | training in counseling to provide emotional and moral support. | 7 | | "Peer support counseling program" means a program | 8 | | established by an emergency services provider, a law | 9 | | enforcement agency, or collective bargaining organization to | 10 | | train employees to serve as peer support advisors to conduct | 11 | | peer support counseling sessions. | 12 | | "Peer support counseling session" means communication with | 13 | | a peer support advisor designated by an emergency services | 14 | | provider or law enforcement agency. A peer support counseling | 15 | | session is accomplished primarily through listening, | 16 | | assessing, assisting with problem-solving, making referrals to | 17 | | a professional when necessary and conducting follow-up as | 18 | | needed. | 19 | | "Post-traumatic stress disorder" has the meaning defined | 20 | | by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board in its | 21 | | implementation of Section 10.13 of the Illinois Police Training | 22 | | Act. | 23 | | "Public safety personnel" means any employee of a law | 24 | | enforcement agency.
| 25 | | (Source: P.A. 101-375, eff. 8-16-19.) |
| | | HB5485 | - 3 - | LRB101 18254 RLC 67698 b |
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| 1 | | (5 ILCS 840/10)
| 2 | | Sec. 10. Establishment of peer support program; | 3 | | applicability. Any emergency services provider, law | 4 | | enforcement agency, or collective bargaining organization that | 5 | | creates a peer support program is subject to this Act. An | 6 | | emergency services provider, law enforcement agency, or | 7 | | collective bargaining organization shall ensure that peer | 8 | | support advisors receive
appropriate training in counseling to | 9 | | conduct peer support counseling sessions. Peer support | 10 | | advisors shall also receive
appropriate training in | 11 | | identifying the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and | 12 | | to respond appropriately to individuals exhibiting those | 13 | | symptoms. Emergency services personnel and public safety
| 14 | | personnel may refer any person to a
peer support advisor within | 15 | | the emergency services
provider or law enforcement agency, or | 16 | | if those services are
not available within the agency, to | 17 | | another
peer support counseling program that is available and | 18 | | approved by the emergency services provider or law enforcement | 19 | | agency. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, public | 20 | | safety personnel may not mandate that any employee participate | 21 | | in a peer support counseling program.
| 22 | | (Source: P.A. 101-375, eff. 8-16-19.)
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