40 ILCS 5/4-110.1
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 40 - PENSIONS|40 ILCS 5/ - Illinois Pension Code.|Article 4 - Firefighters' Pension Fund - Municipalities 500,000 And Under

 (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, 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 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 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 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.)