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SB 1742

ROOF SAFETY FOR 1ST RESPONDERS

104th Regular Session Introduced by Javier Cervantes and 15 co-sponsors

Requires parapets/guards or impact-rated glazing on low-sloped roofs and mandates biennial municipal safety inventories of skylights/openings to aid first responders.

Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0121
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Bill Summary · SB 1742

SB 1742 — Rooftop Safety for First Responders Act (Public Act 104‑0121)

Status: Enacted (Public Act 104‑0121) — Signed by Governor; effective January 1, 2026
Introduced: February 28, 2025 (Illinois)

Purpose / Intent

To improve rooftop safety for police, fire, and other first responders by reducing fall and penetration hazards on low‑sloped roofs (e.g., from skylights or unprotected roof edges) and to create a municipal building inventory of such hazards to support emergency response.

Key definitions

  • Low‑sloped roof: slope < 2 vertical in 12 horizontal (≈17% slope).
  • Parapet: a barrier extending upward from the edge of a roof, balcony, walkway, terrace, etc.
  • Shaft: a continuous vertical space substantially enclosed on all sides extending two or more floors (e.g., elevator shaft, stairwell, ventilation shaft).
  • Court: an open space on a lot, other than a yard, bounded in whole or part by building walls or property lines.

Major provisions

  1. Applicability

    • Applies to all existing buildings, new construction, new roofs, roof replacements, and renovation projects that increase the area of a home or business by more than 50%.

  2. Roof edge protection

    • Edges of low‑sloped roofs that adjoin a shaft or an enclosed court must be provided with a parapet, extended masonry, guard, or combination that meets the requirements of Section 1015 of the International Building Code (IBC).

  3. Skylights and other openings

    • Skylights and openings located in the plane of a low‑sloped roof (unless required by law to remain open/unobstructed) must either:
      • Be glazed with wired glass, plain glass, glass block, or polycarbonate plastic that is designed and constructed to withstand a minimum dynamic load test of at least 400 pounds; or
      • Be provided with a parapet, extended masonry, guard, or combination that meets IBC Section 1015.

  4. Municipal survey and inventory

    • By January 1, 2027, and every two years thereafter, each municipality must survey buildings in its jurisdiction that have skylights or other openings in the plane of a low‑sloped roof.
    • Survey results must be compiled into a building inventory and shared with local police and fire departments.
    • In counties with population >1,000,000, the inventory must also be stored in computer‑aided dispatch (CAD) systems.

Affected parties

  • Owners/operators of buildings with low‑sloped roofs (residential and commercial) — may need to install/parapets, guards, or upgrade skylight glazing or protections.
  • Municipal building departments — must conduct and report recurring surveys and maintain an inventory.
  • Local police and fire departments — will receive inventories (and in large counties, CAD integration) to aid response planning.

Compliance / timeline

  • Law effective January 1, 2026.
  • Municipal building surveys: first due January 1, 2027; then biennially.
  • Roofing and glazing requirements apply when triggered by the statute’s broad applicability (existing buildings and specified renovation thresholds).

Potential impacts

  • Safety: expected reduction in rooftop fall/penetration hazards for first responders.
  • Cost: building owners may face retrofitting or upgrade costs for parapets/guards or impact‑rated glazing; municipalities will incur survey and recordkeeping responsibilities.
  • Operations: improved preincident information for emergency responders (especially in large counties via CAD).

Reference

  • Requires compliance with IBC Section 1015 for parapet/guard details; glazing performance specified as minimum dynamic load resistance of 400 pounds for allowed glazing option.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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