A new law signed by the governor of Illinois in early August allows fire protection districts to give financial incentives to people who install automatic fire sprinkler systems in their homes.

The original bill, introduced in January 2008 by Rep. Donald L. Moffitt (R-74th), established a program that enables the board of trustees of any fire protection district in the state to award grants to single-family-homeowners when they install a fire sprinkler system.

According to an article by the SouthTown Star, the legislation has been championed by Tom Lia, executive director of the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Prevention Board based in Orland Park, who has worked in the past with state law officials to require fire sprinklers in school buildings.

The law is not mandatory; it will be up to fire districts to determine if it will offer incentives to homeowners.