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| Public Act 098-0319 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning local government.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by | ||||
changing Section 22 as follows:
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(70 ILCS 705/22) (from Ch. 127 1/2, par. 38.5)
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Sec. 22. The Board of Trustees of any fire protection | ||||
district incorporated
under this Act is authorized under the | ||||
terms and conditions hereinafter
set out, to provide emergency | ||||
ambulance service to or from points within
or without the | ||||
district; to contract with providers of ambulance service;
to | ||||
combine with other units of governments for the purpose of | ||||
providing
ambulance service; to levy a tax for the provision of | ||||
such service and to
adopt rules and regulations relating to | ||||
ambulance service within their
jurisdiction.
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(a) It is declared as a matter of public policy:
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(1) That, in order to preserve, protect and promote the | ||||
public health,
safety and general welfare, adequate and | ||||
continuing emergency ambulance
service should be available | ||||
to every citizen of Illinois;
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(2) That, insofar as it is economically feasible, | ||||
emergency ambulance
service should be provided by private | ||||
enterprise; and
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(3) That, in the event adequate and continuing | ||
emergency ambulance
services do not exist, fire protection | ||
districts should be authorized to
provide, and shall cause | ||
to be provided, ambulance service as a public | ||
responsibility.
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(b) Whenever the Board of Trustees of a fire protection | ||
district desires
to levy a special tax to provide an ambulance | ||
service, it shall certify the
question to the proper election | ||
officials, who shall submit that question
at an election to the | ||
voters of the district. The result of such referendum
shall be | ||
entered upon the records of the district. If a majority of the
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votes on the proposition are in favor of such proposition, the | ||
Board of
Trustees may thereafter levy a special tax at a rate | ||
not to exceed .30% of
the value of all taxable property within | ||
the district as equalized or
assessed by the Department of | ||
Revenue. The proposition shall be in
substantially the | ||
following form:
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-------------------------------------------------------------
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Shall the .... Fire Protection
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District levy a special tax at a rate YES
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not to exceed .30% of the value of all
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taxable property within the district as --------------------
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equalized or assessed by the Department
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of Revenue for the purpose of providing NO
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an ambulance service?
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-------------------------------------------------------------
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(b-5) On and after the effective date of this amendatory | ||
Act of the 98th General Assembly, whenever the Board of | ||
Trustees of a fire protection district desires
to levy a | ||
special tax to provide an ambulance service, it shall certify | ||
the
question to the proper election officials, who shall submit | ||
that question
at an election to the voters of the district. The | ||
result of such referendum
shall be entered upon the records of | ||
the district. If a majority of the
votes on the proposition are | ||
in favor of such proposition, the Board of
Trustees may | ||
thereafter levy a special tax at a rate not to exceed .40% of
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the value of all taxable property within the district as | ||
equalized or
assessed by the Department of Revenue. The | ||
proposition shall be in
substantially the following form: | ||
-
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Shall the .... Fire Protection
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District levy a special tax at a rate YES
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not to exceed .40% of the value of all
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taxable property within the district as ---------------------
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equalized or assessed by the Department
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of Revenue for the purpose of providing NO
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an ambulance service?
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------------------------------------------------------------- | ||
(c) If it appears that a majority of all valid votes cast | ||
on the
proposition are in favor of levying a special tax to pay | ||
for an ambulance,
the Board of Trustees may levy and collect an | ||
annual tax for the purpose of
providing ambulance service under | ||
this Act to be extended at a rate not to
exceed .40% .30% of the | ||
full fair cash value of the taxable property within the
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governmental unit as assessed or equalized by the Department of | ||
Revenue.
Such annual tax shall be in addition to the other | ||
taxes a fire protection
district may levy for its corporate | ||
purposes.
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(d) Any Board of trustees may:
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1. Provide or operate an emergency ambulance service;
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2. Contract with a private person, hospital, | ||
corporation or another
governmental unit for the provision | ||
and operation of emergency ambulance
service or subsidize | ||
the service thereof;
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3. Limit the number of ambulance services;
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4. Within its jurisdiction, fix, charge and collect | ||
fees for emergency
ambulance service within or outside of | ||
the fire protection district not
exceeding the reasonable | ||
cost of the service;
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5. Establish necessary regulations not inconsistent | ||
with the statutes
or regulations of the Department of | ||
Public Health relating to ambulance
service;
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6. The trustees shall have the power identified in | ||
paragraphs 3 and 5
only if the district shall have passed | ||
the referendum provided for herein.
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(e) When any Board of Trustees is authorized prior to | ||
January 1, 1978
to levy and collect an annual tax, for the | ||
purpose of providing ambulance
service, at any rate not | ||
exceeding .25% of the full fair cash value of the
taxable | ||
property within the governmental unit as equalized or assessed | ||
by
the Department of Revenue, such Board of Trustees may by
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resolution increase its authority to tax for ambulance purposes | ||
to a rate
not to exceed .30%. Such resolution shall be | ||
effective 30 days after its
adoption. Notice of such resolution | ||
shall be published twice in a newspaper
having a general | ||
circulation within the district at least 20 days and again
at | ||
least 10 days prior to the effective date of the resolution. | ||
Such notice
shall state that the voters of that fire protection | ||
district, which district
shall be described in the notice, have | ||
until 30 days after the adoption
of the resolution to file a | ||
petition with the Board of Trustees praying
that the question | ||
of the adoption of the resolution be submitted to a vote
of the | ||
electors of such territory, and that, if no such petition is | ||
filed,
the resolution shall become effective 30 days after its | ||
adoption. The
notice also shall state the specific number of | ||
voters required to sign the
petition and the date of the | ||
prospective referendum. The district secretary
shall provide a | ||
petition form to any individual requesting one. If such a
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petition, signed by the voters of the district equal to 10% or | ||
more of the
registered voters of the district, is so filed with | ||
the Board of Trustees,
then the question of the adoption of the | ||
resolution shall be certified to
the proper election officials, | ||
who shall submit the question to a vote of
the electors of the | ||
district at an election in accordance with the general
election | ||
law. If such a petition is filed, the resolution does not take
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effect unless a majority of the votes cast upon the question of | ||
the
adoption of the resolution is in favor of adoption. | ||
However, if such a
petition is determined to be invalid, the | ||
resolution shall take effect.
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The result of the election shall be entered upon the | ||
records of the
district. If a majority of the voters vote in | ||
favor of such resolution,
the resolution shall be effective | ||
immediately. The proposition shall be
in substantially the | ||
following form:
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-------------------------------------------------------------
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Shall the Board of Trustees of
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the .... Fire Protection District YES
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be authorized to increase the
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special tax for ambulance service
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to a rate not to exceed .30% of ------------------
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the value of all taxable property
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within the district as equalized or
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assessed by the Department of Revenue NO
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for the purpose of providing such service?
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In this Section, "ambulance service" includes, without | ||
limitation, pre-hospital medical services. "Pre-hospital | ||
medical services" includes emergency services performed by a | ||
paramedic or other on-board emergency personnel that are within | ||
the scope of the provider's license. This amendatory Act of the | ||
95th General Assembly is declarative of existing law.
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(Source: P.A. 95-497, eff. 1-1-08.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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