101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB2257

 

Introduced 5/15/2019, by Sen. Antonio Muņoz

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
410 ILCS 18/5
410 ILCS 18/20
410 ILCS 18/25
410 ILCS 18/40

    Amends the Crematory Regulation Act. Provides that a "temporary container" is, among other things, a single container of sufficient size to hold the cremated remains only until an urn is acquired. Provides that a funeral director (rather than a crematory authority or authorizing agent) has responsibilities specified throughout the Act. Provides that a crematory authority shall not cremate human remains until it has received, among other things, the name of the funeral establishment or cemetery (rather than the person) authorized to receive the cremated remains from the crematory authority and the manner in which final disposition of the cremated remains is to take place, whether it be burial, entombment, or inurnment in a cemetery. Provides that cremated remains must (rather than may) be disposed of by placing them in a grave, crypt, or niche in a designated cemetery. Removes language authorizing a crematory authority to dispose of cremated remains in a specified manner if the authorizing agent has not, within 60 days following the date of the cremation, instructed the crematory authority to arrange for the final disposition of the remains or claimed the remains. Removes language allowing for the disposal of cremated remains commingled with those of another person when scattering cremated remains at sea, by air, or in an area located in a dedicated cemetery and used exclusively for those purposes. Provides that an authorizing agent has the right to request and retain up to 8 ounces of cremated remains for memorialization before final disposition of the remains and requires funeral directors to notify an authorizing agent of that right. Makes other changes.


LRB101 12475 CPF 60661 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB2257LRB101 12475 CPF 60661 b

1    AN ACT concerning health.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Crematory Regulation Act is amended by
5changing Sections 5, 20, 25, and 40 as follows:
 
6    (410 ILCS 18/5)
7    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
8    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
9    "Address of record" means the designated address recorded
10by the Comptroller in the applicant's or licensee's application
11file or license file. It is the duty of the applicant or
12licensee to inform the Comptroller of any change of address
13within 14 days, and such changes must be made either through
14the Comptroller's website or by contacting the Comptroller. The
15address of record shall be the permanent street address of the
16crematory.
17    "Alternative container" means a receptacle, other than a
18casket, in which human remains are transported to the crematory
19and placed in the cremation chamber for cremation. An
20alternative container shall be (i) composed of readily
21combustible or consumable materials suitable for cremation,
22(ii) able to be closed in order to provide a complete covering
23for the human remains, (iii) resistant to leakage or spillage,

 

 

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1(iv) rigid enough for handling with ease, and (v) able to
2provide protection for the health, safety, and personal
3integrity of crematory personnel.
4    "Authorizing agent" means a person legally entitled to
5designate a cemetery for the burial, entombment, or inurnment
6of cremated remains in a designated cemetery and to order the
7cremation and final disposition of specific human remains.
8"Authorizing agent" includes an institution of medical,
9mortuary, or other sciences as provided in Section 20 of the
10Disposition of Remains of the Indigent Act.
11    "Body parts" means limbs or other portions of the anatomy
12that are removed from a person or human remains for medical
13purposes during treatment, surgery, biopsy, autopsy, or
14medical research; or human bodies or any portion of bodies that
15have been donated to science for medical research purposes.
16    "Burial transit permit" means a permit for disposition of a
17dead human body or fully intact or cremated remains to a
18cemetery for burial, entombment, or inurnment as required by
19Illinois law.
20    "Casket" means a rigid container that is designed for the
21encasement of human remains, is usually constructed of wood,
22metal, or like material and ornamented and lined with fabric,
23and may or may not be combustible.
24    "Comptroller" means the Comptroller of the State of
25Illinois.
26    "Cremated remains" means all human remains recovered after

 

 

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1the completion of the cremation, which may possibly include the
2residue of any foreign matter including casket material,
3bridgework, or eyeglasses, that was cremated with the human
4remains.
5    "Cremation" means the technical process, using heat and
6flame, or alkaline hydrolysis that reduces human remains to
7bone fragments. The reduction takes place through heat and
8evaporation or through hydrolysis. Cremation shall include the
9processing, and may include the pulverization, of the bone
10fragments.
11    "Cremation chamber" means the enclosed space within which
12the cremation takes place.
13    "Cremation interment container" means a rigid outer
14container that, subject to a cemetery's rules and regulations,
15is composed of concrete, steel, fiberglass, or some similar
16material in which an urn is placed prior to being interred in
17the ground, and which is designed to withstand prolonged
18exposure to the elements and to support the earth above the
19urn.
20    "Cremation room" means the room in which the cremation
21chamber is located.
22    "Crematory" means the building or portion of a building
23that houses the cremation room and the holding facility.
24    "Crematory authority" means the legal entity which is
25licensed by the Comptroller to operate a crematory and to
26perform cremations.

 

 

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1    "Final disposition" means the burial, entombment, or
2inurnment in a cemetery of a dead human body or parts of a dead
3human body, whether fully intact or cremated cremation, or
4other disposition of a dead human body or parts of a dead human
5body.
6    "Funeral director" means a person known by the title of
7"funeral director", "funeral director and embalmer", or other
8similar words or titles, licensed by the State to practice
9funeral directing or funeral directing and embalming and
10charged with the responsibility of final disposition of all
11human remains, whether fully intact or cremated, in a cemetery.
12    "Funeral establishment" means a building or separate
13portion of a building having a specific street address and
14location and devoted to activities relating to the shelter,
15care, custody, and preparation of a deceased human body and may
16contain facilities for funeral or wake services.
17    "Holding facility" means an area that (i) is designated for
18the retention of human remains prior to cremation, (ii)
19complies with all applicable public health law, (iii) preserves
20the health and safety of the crematory authority personnel, and
21(iv) is secure from access by anyone other than authorized
22persons. A holding facility may be located in a cremation room.
23    "Human remains" means the body of a deceased person,
24including any form of body prosthesis that has been permanently
25attached or implanted in the body.
26    "Licensee" means an entity licensed under this Act. An

 

 

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1entity that holds itself as a licensee or that is accused of
2unlicensed practice is considered a licensee for purposes of
3enforcement, investigation, hearings, and the Illinois
4Administrative Procedure Act.
5    "Niche" means a compartment or cubicle for the
6memorialization and permanent placement of an urn containing
7cremated remains.
8    "Person" means any person, partnership, association,
9corporation, limited liability company, or other entity, and in
10the case of any such business organization, its officers,
11partners, members, or shareholders possessing 25% or more of
12ownership of the entity.
13    "Processing" means the reduction of identifiable bone
14fragments after the completion of the cremation process to
15unidentifiable bone fragments by manual or mechanical means.
16    "Pulverization" means the reduction of identifiable bone
17fragments after the completion of the cremation process to
18granulated particles by manual or mechanical means.
19    "Scattering" means the process of removing cremated
20remains from a container and mixing them with or placing them
21on top of the soil or ground cover in a scattering area.
22    "Scattering area" means an area which may be (i) designated
23by a cemetery and located on dedicated cemetery property, (ii)
24private property of a consenting owner, or property used for
25outdoor recreation or (iii) natural resource conservation
26property owned by the Department of Natural Resources and

 

 

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1designated as a scattering area, where cremated remains, which
2have been removed from their container, can be mixed with, or
3placed on top of, the soil or ground cover.
4    "Temporary container" means a receptacle for cremated
5remains, usually composed of cardboard, plastic or similar
6material, that can be closed in a manner that prevents the
7leakage or spillage of the cremated remains or the entrance of
8foreign material, and is a single container of sufficient size
9to hold the cremated remains until an urn is acquired or the
10cremated remains are scattered.
11    "Urn" means a receptacle designed to encase the cremated
12remains.
13(Source: P.A. 100-97, eff. 1-1-18; 100-526, eff. 6-1-18;
14100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)
 
15    (410 ILCS 18/20)
16    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
17    Sec. 20. Authorization to cremate.
18    (a) A crematory authority shall not cremate human remains
19until it has received all of the following:
20        (1) A cremation authorization form signed by an
21    authorizing agent. The cremation authorization form shall
22    be provided by the crematory authority and shall contain,
23    at a minimum, the following information:
24            (A) The identity of the human remains and the time
25        and date of death.

 

 

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1            (B) The name of the funeral director and funeral
2        establishment, if applicable, that obtained the
3        cremation authorization.
4            (C) Notification as to whether the death occurred
5        from a disease declared by the Department of Health to
6        be infectious, contagious, communicable, or dangerous
7        to the public health.
8            (D) The name of the authorizing agent and the
9        relationship between the authorizing agent and the
10        decedent.
11            (E) A representation that the authorizing agent
12        does in fact have the right to authorize the cremation
13        of the decedent, and that the authorizing agent is not
14        aware of any living person who has a superior priority
15        right to that of the authorizing agent, as set forth in
16        Section 15. In the event there is another living person
17        who has a superior priority right to that of the
18        authorizing agent, the form shall contain a
19        representation that the authorizing agent has made all
20        reasonable efforts to contact that person, has been
21        unable to do so, and has no reason to believe that the
22        person would object to the cremation of the decedent.
23            (F) Authorization for the crematory authority to
24        cremate the human remains.
25            (G) A representation that the human remains do not
26        contain a pacemaker or any other material or implant

 

 

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1        that may be potentially hazardous or cause damage to
2        the cremation chamber or the person performing the
3        cremation.
4            (H) The name of the cemetery person authorized to
5        receive the cremated remains from the funeral director
6        crematory authority.
7            (I) The manner in which final disposition of the
8        cremated remains is to take place, whether it be
9        burial, entombment, or inurnment in a cemetery. The
10        manner in which final disposition of the cremated
11        remains is to take place, if known. If the cremation
12        authorization form does not specify final disposition
13        in a grave, crypt, niche, or scattering area, then the
14        form may indicate that the cremated remains will be
15        held by the crematory authority for 30 days before they
16        are released, unless they are picked up from the
17        crematory authority prior to that time, in person, by
18        the authorizing agent. At the end of the 30 days the
19        crematory authority may return the cremated remains to
20        the authorizing agent if no final disposition
21        arrangements are made; or at the end of 60 days the
22        crematory authority may dispose of the cremated
23        remains in accordance with subsection (d) of Section
24        40.
25            (J) A listing of any items of value to be delivered
26        to the crematory authority along with the human

 

 

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1        remains, and instructions as to how the items should be
2        handled.
3            (K) A specific statement as to whether the
4        authorizing agent has made arrangements for any type of
5        viewing of the decedent before cremation, or for a
6        service with the decedent present before cremation in
7        connection with the cremation, and if so, the date and
8        time of the viewing or service and whether the
9        crematory authority is authorized to proceed with the
10        cremation upon receipt of the human remains.
11            (L) The signature of the authorizing agent,
12        attesting to the accuracy of all representations
13        contained on the cremation authorization form, except
14        as set forth in paragraph (M) of this subsection.
15            (M) If a cremation authorization form is being
16        executed on a pre-need basis, the cremation
17        authorization form shall contain the disclosure
18        required by subsection (b) of Section 140.
19            (N) The cremation authorization form, other than
20        pre-need cremation forms, shall also be signed by a
21        funeral director or other representative of the
22        funeral establishment that obtained the cremation
23        authorization. That individual shall merely execute
24        the cremation authorization form as a witness and shall
25        not be responsible for any of the representations made
26        by the authorizing agent, unless the individual has

 

 

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1        actual knowledge to the contrary. The information
2        requested by items (A), (B), (C) and (G) of this
3        subsection, however, shall be considered to be
4        representations of the authorizing agent. In addition,
5        the funeral director or funeral establishment shall
6        warrant to the crematory that the human remains
7        delivered to the crematory authority are the human
8        remains identified on the cremation authorization
9        form.
10        (2) A completed and executed burial transit permit
11    indicating that the human remains are to be cremated.
12        (3) Any other documentation required by this State.
13    (b) If an authorizing agent is not available to execute a
14cremation authorization form in person, that person may
15delegate that authority to another person in writing, or by
16sending the crematory authority a facsimile transmission that
17contains the name, address, and relationship of the sender to
18the decedent and the name and address of the individual to whom
19authority is delegated. Upon receipt of the written document,
20or facsimile transmission, telegram, or other electronic
21telecommunications transmission which specifies the individual
22to whom authority has been delegated, the crematory authority
23shall allow this individual to serve as the authorizing agent
24and to execute the cremation authorization form. The crematory
25authority shall be entitled to rely upon the cremation
26authorization form without liability.

 

 

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1    (c) An authorizing agent who signs a cremation
2authorization form shall be deemed to warrant the truthfulness
3of any facts set forth on the cremation authorization form,
4including that person's authority to order the cremation;
5except for the information required by items (C) and (G) of
6paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Section, unless the
7authorizing agent has actual knowledge to the contrary. An
8authorizing agent signing a cremation authorization form shall
9be personally and individually liable for all damages
10occasioned by and resulting from authorizing the cremation.
11    (d) A crematory authority shall have authority to cremate
12human remains upon the receipt of a cremation authorization
13form signed by an authorizing agent. There shall be no
14liability for a crematory authority that cremates human remains
15according to an authorization, or that releases or disposes of
16the cremated remains according to an authorization, except for
17a crematory authority's gross negligence, provided that the
18crematory authority performs its functions in compliance with
19this Act.
20    (e) After an authorizing agent has executed a cremation
21authorization form, the authorizing agent may revoke the
22authorization and instruct the crematory authority to cancel
23the cremation and to release or deliver the human remains to
24another crematory authority or funeral establishment. The
25instructions shall be provided to the crematory authority in
26writing. A crematory authority shall honor any instructions

 

 

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1given to it by an authorizing agent under this Section if it
2receives the instructions prior to beginning the cremation of
3the human remains.
4(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-12; 97-679, eff. 2-6-12.)
 
5    (410 ILCS 18/25)
6    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
7    Sec. 25. Recordkeeping.
8    (a) The crematory authority shall furnish to the person who
9delivers human remains to the crematory authority a receipt
10signed at the time of delivery by both the crematory authority
11and the person who delivers the human remains, showing the date
12and time of the delivery, the type of casket or alternative
13container that was delivered, the name of the person from whom
14the human remains were received and the name of the funeral
15establishment or other entity with whom the person is
16affiliated, the name of the person who received the human
17remains on behalf of the crematory authority, and the name of
18the decedent. The crematory shall retain a copy of this receipt
19in its permanent records.
20    (b) Upon its release of cremated remains, the funeral
21director crematory authority shall furnish to the cemetery that
22person who receives the cremated remains from the funeral
23director crematory authority a receipt signed by both the
24crematory authority and the funeral director person who
25receives the cremated remains, showing the date and time of the

 

 

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1release, the name of the funeral establishment or cemetery
2person to which whom the cremated remains were released and the
3name of the funeral establishment, cemetery, or other entity
4with whom the person is affiliated, the name of the person who
5released the cremated remains on behalf of the crematory
6authority, and the name of the decedent. The crematory shall
7retain a copy of this receipt in its permanent records.
8    (c) A crematory authority shall maintain at its place of
9business a permanent record of each cremation that took place
10at its facility which shall contain the name of the decedent,
11the date of the cremation, and the final disposition of the
12cremated remains.
13    (d) The crematory authority shall maintain a record of all
14cremated remains disposed of by the crematory authority in
15accordance with subsection (d) of Section 40.
16    (e) Upon completion of the cremation, the funeral director
17crematory authority shall file the burial transit permit as
18required by the Illinois Vital Records Act and rules adopted
19under that Act and the Illinois Counties Code, and transmit a
20photocopy of the burial transit permit along with the cremated
21remains to whoever receives the cremated remains from the
22authorizing agent unless the cremated remains are to be
23interred, entombed, inurned, or placed in a scattering area, in
24which case the crematory authority shall retain a copy of the
25burial transit permit and shall send the permit, along with the
26cremated remains, to the cemetery for interment, entombment, or

 

 

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1inurnment, which shall file the permit with the designated
2agency after the interment, entombment, or inurnment, or
3scattering has taken place.
4    (f) All cemeteries shall maintain a record of all cremated
5remains that are disposed of on their property, provided that
6the cremated remains were properly transferred to the cemetery
7and the cemetery issued a receipt acknowledging the transfer of
8the cremated remains.
9(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-12; 97-679, eff. 2-6-12.)
 
10    (410 ILCS 18/40)
11    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
12    Sec. 40. Disposition of cremated remains.
13    (a) A licensed funeral director The authorizing agent shall
14be responsible for the final disposition of the cremated
15remains by burying, entombing, or inurning the cremated remains
16in a cemetery selected by the authorizing agent.
17    (b) Cremated remains must may be disposed of by placing
18them in a grave, crypt, or niche in a designated cemetery , by
19scattering them in a scattering area as defined in this Act, or
20in any manner whatever on the private property of a consenting
21owner.
22    (c) Upon the completion of the cremation process and after ,
23and except as provided for in item (I) of paragraph (1) of
24subsection (a) of Section 20, if the crematory authority has
25not been instructed to arrange for the interment, entombment,

 

 

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1inurnment, or scattering of the cremated remains, the crematory
2authority shall deliver the cremated remains to the individual
3specified on the cremation authorization form, or if no
4individual is specified then to the authorizing agent. The
5delivery may be made in person or by registered mail. Upon
6receipt of the cremated remains, the individual receiving them
7may transport them in any manner in this State without a
8permit, and may dispose of them in accordance with this
9Section. After delivery, the funeral director crematory
10authority shall be discharged from any legal obligation or
11liability concerning the cremated remains.
12    (d) (Blank). If, after a period of 60 days from the date of
13the cremation, the authorizing agent or the agent's designee
14has not instructed the crematory authority to arrange for the
15final disposition of the cremated remains or claimed the
16cremated remains, the crematory authority may dispose of the
17cremated remains in any manner permitted by this Section. The
18crematory authority, however, shall keep a permanent record
19identifying the site of final disposition. The authorizing
20agent shall be responsible for reimbursing the crematory
21authority for all reasonable expenses incurred in disposing of
22the cremated remains. Upon disposing of the cremated remains,
23the crematory authority shall be discharged from any legal
24obligation or liability concerning the cremated remains. Any
25person who was in possession of cremated remains prior to the
26effective date of this Act may dispose of them in accordance

 

 

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1with this Section.
2    (e) Except with the express written permission of the
3authorizing agent, no person shall:
4        (1) Dispose of cremated remains in a manner or in a
5    location so that the cremated remains are commingled with
6    those of another person. This prohibition shall not apply
7    to the scattering of cremated remains at sea, by air, or in
8    an area located in a dedicated cemetery and used
9    exclusively for those purposes.
10        (2) Place cremated remains of more than one person in
11    the same temporary container or urn.
12    (f) The authorizing agent has the right to request and
13retain up to 8 ounces of cremated remains, before final
14disposition, for scattering or private memorialization of the
15cremated remains in accordance with this Act. A funeral
16director shall notify an authorizing agent of the right to
17request and retain up to 8 ounces of cremated remains.
18(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-12; 97-679, eff. 2-6-12.)