Bill Text: IL HB1620 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Downstate Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that an active firefighter with 5 or more years of creditable service who is found unable to perform his or her duties in the fire department by reason of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) resulting from service as a firefighter is entitled to an occupational disease disability pension during any period of such disability for which he or she has no right to receive salary. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-23 - Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Gregg Johnson [HB1620 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1620-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1620 Introduced , by Rep. Gregg Johnson SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
40 ILCS 5/4-110.1 from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-110.1
30 ILCS 805/8.49 new
Amends the Downstate Firefighter Article of the Illinois Pension Code. Provides that an active firefighter with 5 or more years of creditable service who is found unable to perform his or her duties in the fire department by reason of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) resulting from service as a firefighter is entitled to an occupational disease disability pension during any period of such disability for which he or she has no right to receive salary. Amends the State Mandates Act to require implementation without reimbursement by the State.
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STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT MAY APPLY
A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning public employee benefits.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Pension Code is amended by
changing Section 4-110.1 as follows:
(40 ILCS 5/4-110.1) (from Ch. 108 1/2, par. 4-110.1)
Sec. 4-110.1. Occupational disease disability pension.
The General Assembly finds that service in the fire department
requires firefighters in times of stress and danger to perform
unusual tasks; that firefighters are subject to exposure to
extreme heat or extreme cold in certain seasons while
performing their duties; that they are required to work in the
midst of and are subject to heavy smoke fumes, and
carcinogenic, poisonous, toxic or chemical gases from fires;
and that these conditions exist and arise out of or in the
course of employment.
An active firefighter with 5 or more years of creditable
service who is found, pursuant to Section 4-112, unable to
perform his or her duties in the fire department by reason of
heart disease, stroke, tuberculosis, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), or any disease of the lungs or respiratory
tract, resulting from service as a firefighter, is entitled to
an occupational disease disability pension during any period

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of such disability for which he or she has no right to receive
salary.
Any active firefighter who has completed 5 or more years
of service and is unable to perform his or her duties in the
fire department by reason of a disabling cancer, which
develops or manifests itself during a period while the
firefighter is in the service of the fire department, shall be
entitled to receive an occupational disease disability benefit
during any period of such disability for which he or she does
not have a right to receive salary. In order to receive this
occupational disease disability benefit, (i) the type of
cancer involved must be a type which may be caused by exposure
to heat, radiation or a known carcinogen as defined by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer and (ii) the
cancer must (and is rebuttably presumed to) arise as a result
of service as a firefighter.
A firefighter who enters the service after August 27, 1971
shall be examined by one or more practicing physicians
appointed by the board. If the examination discloses
impairment of the heart, lungs or respiratory tract, or the
existence of any cancer, the firefighter shall not be entitled
to the occupational disease disability pension unless and
until a subsequent examination reveals no such impairment or
cancer.
The occupational disease disability pension shall be equal
to the greater of (1) 65% of the salary attached to the rank

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held by the firefighter in the fire service at the time of his
or her removal from the municipality's fire department payroll
or (2) the retirement pension that the firefighter would be
eligible to receive if he or she retired (but not including any
automatic annual increase in that retirement pension).
The firefighter is also entitled to a child's disability
benefit of $20 a month for each natural or legally adopted
unmarried child less than age 18 dependent upon the
firefighter for support. The total child's disability benefit
when added to the occupational disease disability pension
shall not exceed 75% of the firefighter's salary at the time of
the grant of occupational disease disability pension.
The occupational disease disability pension is payable to
the firefighter during the period of the disability. If the
disability ceases before the death of the firefighter, the
disability pension payable under this Section shall also cease
and the firefighter thereafter shall receive such pension
benefits as are provided in accordance with other provisions
of this Article.
If a firefighter dies while still disabled and receiving a
disability pension under this Section, the disability pension
shall continue to be paid to the firefighter's survivors in
the sequence provided in Section 4-114. A pension previously
granted under Section 4-114 to a survivor of a firefighter who
died while receiving a disability pension under this Section
shall be deemed to be a continuation of the pension provided

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under this Section and shall be deemed to be in the nature of
worker's occupational disease compensation payments. The
changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act of 1995 are
intended to be retroactive and are not limited to persons in
service on or after its effective date.
The child's disability benefit shall terminate if the
disability ceases while the firefighter is alive or when the
child or children attain age 18 or marry, whichever event
occurs first, except that benefits payable on account of a
child under this Section shall not be reduced or terminated by
reason of the child's attainment of age 18 if he or she is then
dependent by reason of a physical or mental disability but
shall continue to be paid as long as such dependency
continues. Individuals over the age of 18 and adjudged as a
disabled person pursuant to Article XIa of the Probate Act of
1975, except for persons receiving benefits under Article III
of the Illinois Public Aid Code, shall be eligible to receive
benefits under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 93-1090, eff. 3-11-05.)
Section 90. The State Mandates Act is amended by adding
Section 8.49 as follows:
(30 ILCS 805/8.49 new)
Sec. 8.49. Exempt mandate. Notwithstanding Sections 6 and
8 of this Act, no reimbursement by the State is required for

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