summary
Introduced
09/11/2025
09/11/2025
In Committee
10/15/2025
10/15/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
104th General Assembly
Bill Summary
Amends the Illinois Pension Code. In the Downstate Firefighter Article, includes in the definition of "firefighter", a person employed in a municipality's or fire protection district's fire service as a de facto firefighter. Defines "de facto firefighter". Provides that the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act (Article 20 of the Code) is adopted and made a part of the Downstate Firefighter Article and the Chicago Firefighter Article, but only with respect to a person who, on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, is entitled to begin receiving a retirement annuity or survivor's annuity and who elects to proceed under the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act. In the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) Article, authorizes sheriff's law enforcement employee (SLEP) status for a person who is not eligible to participate in a downstate firefighter fund and is employed on a full-time basis by a participating municipality to perform duties as a paramedic, emergency medical technician (EMT), emergency medical technician-intermediate (EMT-I), or advanced emergency medical technician (A-EMT); but only if the governing authority of that municipality has approved sheriff's law enforcement employee status for such employees by adoption of an affirmative resolution. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement. Effective immediately.
AI Summary
This bill amends the Illinois Pension Code to make several important changes to firefighter and municipal employee pension regulations. It expands the definition of "firefighter" to include "de facto firefighters", which are individuals who spend the majority of their work time participating in fire control and extinguishing activities, with scheduled hours similar to traditional firefighters, while explicitly excluding part-time, auxiliary, reserve, voluntary, and civilian firefighter-adjacent employees. The bill also adopts the Retirement Systems Reciprocal Act for the Downstate and Chicago Firefighter Articles, but only for individuals beginning to receive retirement or survivor's annuities after the bill's effective date who choose to proceed under that Act. Additionally, the bill authorizes sheriff's law enforcement employee (SLEP) status for full-time municipal paramedics, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and advanced EMTs, but only if the municipality's governing authority approves this status through an affirmative resolution. The bill also amends the State Mandates Act to specify that no state reimbursement is required for implementing these changes, and it takes effect immediately upon becoming law.
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Referred to Rules Committee (on 10/15/2025)
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