State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
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90_SB1212

      30 ILCS 105/5.449 new
      425 ILCS 35/1             from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 127
      425 ILCS 35/2             from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 128
          Amends the Fireworks Use Act and the State  Finance  Act.
      Prohibits  a  person  from  handling  certain explosives in a
      fireworks display if the person is not licensed by the  State
      Fire Marshal to handle the explosives.  Establishes licensing
      procedures  and  requirements,  including requiring the State
      Fire  Marshal  to  create  a  curriculum  for  training   and
      licensing  applicants.  Provides that application and license
      fees shall be deposited into the Fireworks License Fund to be
      used by the State Fire Marshal to defray the costs associated
      with licensing applicants.  Effective January 1, 1998.
                                                     LRB9006294NTsb
                                               LRB9006294NTsb
 1        AN ACT concerning fireworks, amending named Acts.
 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:
 4        Section  5.   The  State Finance Act is amended by adding
 5    Section 5.449 as follows:
 6        (30 ILCS 105/5.449 new)
 7        Sec. 5.449.  The Fireworks License Fund.
 8        Section 10.  The Fireworks Use Act is amended by changing
 9    Sections 1 and 2 as follows:
10        (425 ILCS 35/1) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 127)
11        Sec. 1.  Definitions.  In this Act:
12        The term "Fireworks" shall mean and include any explosive
13    composition, or any substance or combination  of  substances,
14    or article prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or
15    audible   effect   of  a  temporary  exhibitional  nature  by
16    explosion, combustion, deflagration or detonation, and  shall
17    include  blank  cartridges,  toy cannons, in which explosives
18    are used, the type of balloons which require fire  underneath
19    to  propel  the  same,  firecrackers,  torpedoes, skyrockets,
20    Roman candles, bombs, or other fireworks of like construction
21    and any fireworks containing any explosive compound,  or  any
22    tablets  or  other device containing any explosive substance,
23    or  containing  combustible   substances   producing   visual
24    effects:  provided,  however, that the term "fireworks" shall
25    not include snake or glow worm pellets; smoke devices;  trick
26    noisemakers   known   as   "party  poppers",  "booby  traps",
27    "snappers", "trick  matches",  "cigarette  loads"  and  "auto
28    burglar alarms"; sparklers; toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns,
29    or  other  devices  in which paper or plastic caps containing
                            -2-                LRB9006294NTsb
 1    twenty-five hundredths grains or less of  explosive  compound
 2    are  used,  providing  they  are so constructed that the hand
 3    cannot come in contact with the cap when  in  place  for  the
 4    explosion; and toy pistol paper or plastic caps which contain
 5    less  than twenty hundredths grains of explosive mixture; the
 6    sale and use of which shall be permitted at all times.
 7        "Division 1.2 or 1.3 explosive" means  any  substance  or
 8    article  defined  as  a  Division 1.2 or 1.3 explosive by the
 9    United States  Department  of  Transportation  under  49  CFR
10    173.50.   Nothing  in  this  definition shall be construed to
11    exclude Division 1.2 and 1.3 explosives from  the  definition
12    of "fireworks".
13    (Source: P.A. 83-474.)
14        (425 ILCS 35/2) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 128)
15        Sec. 2.  Prohibition; permit; license.
16        (a)  Except  as hereinafter provided it shall be unlawful
17    for any  person,  firm,  co-partnership,  or  corporation  to
18    knowingly  possess,  offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at
19    retail, or use or explode any fireworks; provided  that  city
20    councils  in  cities,  the president and board of trustees in
21    villages and incorporated towns, and  outside  the  corporate
22    limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns, the county
23    board,  shall  have  power  to  adopt  reasonable  rules  and
24    regulations for the granting of permits for supervised public
25    displays of fireworks. Every such display shall be handled by
26    a  competent  individual  designated by the local authorities
27    herein specified and shall be of  such  a  character  and  so
28    located,  discharged  or  fired,  as  not  to be hazardous to
29    property or endanger any person or persons.  Application  for
30    permits  shall be made in writing at least 15 days in advance
31    of the date of the display and action shall be taken on  such
32    application  within  48 hours after such application is made.
33    After  such  privilege  shall  have  been   granted,   sales,
                            -3-                LRB9006294NTsb
 1    possession,  use  and  distribution  of  fireworks  for  such
 2    display  shall  be  lawful  for  that purpose only. No permit
 3    granted hereunder shall be transferable.
 4        Permits may be granted hereunder to any groups  of  3  or
 5    more  adult individuals applying therefor. No permit shall be
 6    required, under the provisions of this  Act,  for  supervised
 7    public displays by State or County fair associations.
 8        The governing body shall require a bond from the licensee
 9    in  a sum not less than $1,000 conditioned on compliance with
10    the provisions of this law and the regulations of  the  State
11    Fire  Marshal  adopted hereunder, except that no municipality
12    shall be required to file such bond.
13        Such permit shall be issued only after inspection of  the
14    display  site  by the issuing officer, to determine that such
15    display shall not be hazardous to property  or  endanger  any
16    person or persons.  Forms for such application and permit may
17    be  obtained  from the Office of the State Fire Marshal.  One
18    copy of such  permit  shall  be  on  file  with  the  issuing
19    officer,  and  one  copy forwarded to the Office of the State
20    Fire Marshal.
21        Possession  by  any  party  holding  a   certificate   of
22    registration   under   "The   Fireworks   Regulation  Act  of
23    Illinois", filed July 20, 1935, or by any employee  or  agent
24    of  such  party  or  by any person transporting fireworks for
25    such  party,  shall  not  be  a  violation,   provided   such
26    possession  is  within the scope of business of the fireworks
27    plant registered under that Act.
28        (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,  if
29    Division  1.2  or  1.3  explosives  are  used  in a fireworks
30    display, a person may not handle  the  Division  1.2  or  1.3
31    explosives  without a license from the State Fire Marshal.  A
32    person seeking a  license  to  handle  Division  1.2  or  1.3
33    explosives  in  a fireworks display shall submit to the State
34    Fire Marshal an application, on  a  form  prescribed  by  the
                            -4-                LRB9006294NTsb
 1    State Fire Marshal, and the appropriate application fee.
 2        The  State  Fire  Marshal  shall  issue  a  license to an
 3    applicant upon a determination by the State Fire Marshal that
 4    the applicant is eligible for a license and upon  payment  of
 5    the  appropriate  license  fee.  The State Fire Marshal shall
 6    set standards for  the  licensing  of  applicants,  including
 7    creating  a curriculum for training and licensing applicants.
 8    The curriculum shall be in place and  the  licensing  process
 9    shall  be  operational  by  March  15,  1998.  The State Fire
10    Marshal shall set criteria for a person to meet in  order  to
11    be an instructor for the curriculum.
12        Application, license, and license renewal fees under this
13    subsection  (b) shall be deposited into the Fireworks License
14    Fund.  The fees shall be set by the State  Fire  Marshal  and
15    shall   be  sufficient  to  defray  the  costs  and  expenses
16    associated  with  the  licensing  process.  The  duration  of
17    licenses  shall  be  set  by  the  State  Fire  Marshal.  The
18    Fireworks License Fund is created as a special  fund  in  the
19    State  treasury.   All  money  in  the Fireworks License Fund
20    shall be  used,  subject  to  appropriation  by  the  General
21    Assembly,  by  the State Fire Marshal to defray the costs and
22    expenses associated with the  licensing  process  under  this
23    subsection (b).
24        The State Fire Marshal shall adopt all rules necessary to
25    carry out its responsibilities under this subsection (b).
26    (Source: P.A. 86-1028.)
27        Section  99.   Effective  date.   This  Act  takes effect
28    January 1, 1998.

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