Illinois set to require carbon monoxide detectors
State Rep. Kathleen Willis, D-Addison, proposed legislation requiring the detectors to be in schools in 2013 and 2014, but the measure failed to advance.
But state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Pawnee, and state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, joined as sponsors after a carbon monoxide scare in one of their district’s schools last year.
North Mac School, south of Springfield, had a carbon monoxide leak that sent about 140 students and faculty to area hospitals. All patients were later released. Close to 640 students in third to eighth grades were on the schools’ campus during the leak.
North Mac School purchased alarms after the incident.
The measure states that school boards must put carbon monoxide alarms in each school building and lays out rules for the state fire marshal.
The legislation advanced through the House Elementary & Secondary Education: Licensing Oversight committee with a vote of 3-1 and was then endorsed in the full House with a vote of 106-1.
State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, was the only member to vote no on the legislation. He said he does not support the unfunded mandate and schools that wish to purchase the alarms can do so without the legislation.
“The governor will carefully consider any legislation that crosses his desk,” Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said.
The legislation is House Bill 152.
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