Public Act 103-0761
 
SB2702 EnrolledLRB103 36180 RPS 66272 b

    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licensing Act is
amended by changing Sections 10 and 17 as follows:
 
    (225 ILCS 317/10)
    Sec. 10. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
context otherwise requires:
    "Designated certified person" means an individual who has
met the qualifications set forth under Section 20.
    "Fire protection system layout documents" means layout
drawings, catalog information on standard products, and other
construction data that provide detail on the location of
risers, cross mains, branch lines, sprinklers, piping per
applicable standard, and hanger locations. "Fire protection
system layout documents" serve as a guide for fabrication and
installation of a fire sprinkler system and shall be based
upon applicable standards pursuant to Section 30.
    "Fire sprinkler contractor" means a person who holds
himself or herself out to be in the business of providing
service for a fire sprinkler system or contracts with a person
to provide service for a fire sprinkler system.
    "Fire sprinkler contractor license" means a license issued
to a qualified fire sprinkler contractor.
    "Fire sprinkler inspector" means an individual who is
qualified to perform routine inspection or testing of fire
sprinkler systems pursuant to Section 17 and who is employed
or contracted by a single fire sprinkler contractor at a time
to perform fire sprinkler inspections.
    "Fire sprinkler inspector license" means a license issued
to a qualified fire sprinkler inspector.
    "Fire sprinkler system" means any water-based automatic
fire extinguishing system employing fire sprinklers, including
accessory fire pumps and associated piping, fire standpipes,
or underground fire main systems starting at the connection to
the water service after the approved backflow device is
installed under the requirements of the Illinois Plumbing Code
and ending at the most remote fire sprinkler. "Fire sprinkler
system" includes but is not limited to a fire sprinkler system
in a residential, commercial, institutional, educational,
public, or private occupancy. "Fire sprinkler system" does not
include single sprinkler heads that are in a loop of the
potable water system, as referenced in 77 Ill. Adm. Code
890.1130 and 890.1200.
    "Licensee" means a person or business organization
licensed in accordance with this Act.
    "NICET" means the National Institute for Certification in
Engineering Technologies.
    "Office" means the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
    "Person" means an individual, group of individuals,
association, trust, partnership, corporation, limited
liability company, firm, business, person doing business under
an assumed name, the State of Illinois, or department thereof,
any other state-owned and operated institution, or any other
entity.
    "Responsible managing employee" means the individual
designated by the fire sprinkler contractor that is not
required to have a designated certified person under Section
120.
    "Routine inspection or testing" means inspection or
testing to verify the condition of an existing fire sprinkler
system at predetermined intervals in accordance with the
standards of the National Fire Protection Association.
    "Rules" means the rules adopted pursuant to this Act.
    "Service" means work on a fire sprinkler system,
including, but not limited to, installation, repair,
inspection, testing, and maintenance, within the scope of this
Act.
    "Standards" means those standards or codes referenced in
this Act or its rules.
    "Supervision" means the direction and management by a
designated certified person or responsible managing employee
of the activities of non-certified personnel in the service of
fire sprinkler systems.
(Source: P.A. 102-612, eff. 8-27-21.)
 
    (225 ILCS 317/17)
    Sec. 17. Fire sprinkler inspector license; application;
minimum qualifications for routine inspection or testing.
    (a) Any individual who performs routine inspection or
testing of any fire sprinkler system under this Act shall: (i)
be employed by a single licensed fire sprinkler contractor at
a time to perform fire sprinkler inspections; and (ii) meet
the minimum qualifications of this Section except where the
individual is exempted by subsection (c).
    Beginning January 1, 2024, any individual who performs
routine inspection or testing of any fire sprinkler system
under this Act shall be individually licensed and possess on
his or her person a fire sprinkler inspector license including
a photo identification issued by the Office.
    A person applying for an initial fire sprinkler inspector
license or renewing a fire sprinkler inspector license shall
demonstrate to the Office proof of minimum qualifications as
required by subsection (b) of this Section, except where the
individual is exempted by subsection (c).
    (b) Any individual who performs routine inspection or
testing of any fire sprinkler system under this Act shall
possess proof of:
        (1) current certification by a nationally recognized
    certification organization, such as NICET certification in
    Inspection and Testing of Water Based Systems, at an
    appropriate level, or the equivalent; on or after the
    effective date of this amendatory Act of the 102nd General
    assembly through December 31, 2022, an appropriate level
    in NICET certification in Inspection and Testing of Water
    Based Systems shall be level II; on and after January 1,
    2023, an appropriate level in NICET certification in
    Inspection and Testing of Water Based Systems shall be
    level III;
        (2) current ASSE 15010 certification in inspection,
    testing, and maintenance for water-based fire protection
    systems by the American Society of Sanitary Engineering;
    or
        (3) satisfactory completion of a certified sprinkler
    fitter apprenticeship program approved by the U.S.
    Department of Labor.
    (c) The following are exemptions to the licensing
requirements of this Section:
        (1) State employees who perform routine inspection or
    testing on behalf of State institutions and who meet the
    requirements of subsection (b) need not be licensed under
    this Section or employed by a fire sprinkler contractor
    under this Act in order to perform routine inspection or
    testing duties while engaged in the performance of their
    official duties.
        (2) The requirements of this Section do not apply to
    individuals performing inspection or testing of fire
    sprinkler systems on behalf of a municipality, a county, a
    fire department, a fire protection district, or the Office
    while engaged in the performance of their official duties.
        (3) The requirements of this Section do not apply to a
    stationary engineer, operating engineer, or other
    individual employed on a full-time basis by the facility
    owner or owner's representative performing weekly and
    monthly inspections and tests in accordance with
    applicable standards adopted under the rules.
    (d) Each fire sprinkler inspector shall be subject to the
requirements for license renewal and continuing education
under Section 35.
    (e) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit an
individual who is licensed as a fire sprinkler inspector from
being employed by another employer or self-employed to perform
duties that would not require a fire sprinkler inspector
license.
(Source: P.A. 102-612, eff. 8-27-21.)