Public Act 1218 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB4722 Enrolled LRB096 14860 KTG 29724 b

Public Act 096-1218

AN ACT concerning antifreeze.

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 Antifreeze Bittering Act.

Section 5. Addition of bittering agent required. Any engine coolant or antifreeze that is manufactured after January 1, 2011, and subsequently sold within the State, and that contains more than 10% ethylene glycol, shall include denatonium benzoate at a minimum of 30 parts per million and a maximum of 50 parts per million as a bittering agent within the product so as to render it unpalatable.

Section 10. Record keeping. A manufacturer of a product subject to this Act shall maintain a record of the trade name, scientific name, and active ingredients of any bittering agent used pursuant to this Act. Such information shall be available to the public upon request.

Section 15. Liability.

(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this Section, a manufacturer, processor, distributor, recycler, or seller of an engine coolant or antifreeze containing denatonium benzoate at a minimum of 30 parts per million and a maximum of 50 parts per million shall not be liable, except for willful and wanton misconduct, to any person for personal injury, death, property damage, damage to the environment, damage to natural resources, or economic loss where the inclusion of denatonium benzoate in any engine coolant or antifreeze was the sole cause of the personal injury, death, property damage, damage to the environment, damage to natural resources, or economic loss.

(b) Subsection (a) of this Section shall be strictly construed and shall not apply to manufacturers, distributors, recyclers, or sellers of denatonium benzoate prior to its dilution with an engine coolant or antifreeze, or in dilutions with antifreeze or engine coolant of less than 30 parts per million or more than 50 parts per million.

(c) Subsection (a) of this Section shall apply only to causes of action accruing on or after the effective date of this Act.

Section 20. Home rule preemption. With respect to retail containers containing less than 55 gallons of engine coolant or antifreeze, no local government, municipality, or other political subdivision of this State shall have any authority either to establish or continue in effect any prohibition, limitation, standard, or other requirement relating to the inclusion of a bittering agent in engine coolant or antifreeze that is in any way different from, or in addition to, the provisions of this Act. This Section is a denial and limitation of home rule powers and functions under subsection (h) of Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution.

Section 25. Exemptions. The requirements of this Act shall not be construed to apply to:

(1) the sale of a motor vehicle that contains engine coolant or antifreeze; or

(2) wholesale containers of engine coolant or antifreeze containing 55 gallons or more of engine coolant or antifreeze.

Section 30. Penalty. A violation of this Act is a Class C misdemeanor.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2011.

Effective Date: 7/1/2011