Full Text of HR0600 96th General Assembly
HR0600 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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| HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The Comptroller has the primary regulatory | 3 |
| authority over the Illinois cemetery industry; and
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| WHEREAS, The Comptroller's Cemetery Care and Burial Trust | 5 |
| Department has regulatory oversight over certain for-profit | 6 |
| cemeteries that accept consumer funds held in trust and also | 7 |
| licenses funeral homes and cemeteries that sell pre-need | 8 |
| arrangements in advance of death; and
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| WHEREAS, The Cemetery Care Act gives the Comptroller | 10 |
| statutory authority to conduct investigations of unlawful | 11 |
| practices with respect to the operation and maintenance of | 12 |
| cemeteries in Illinois; and
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| WHEREAS, The Cemetery Care Act gives the Comptroller broad | 14 |
| statutory authority to revoke a cemetery's license for any | 15 |
| violation of the Act, including the care and maintenance of a | 16 |
| cemetery and the opening and closing of graves; and
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| WHEREAS, The Comptroller is under a statutory mandate to | 18 |
| examine at least annually every licensee who holds $250,000 or | 19 |
| more in its care funds, and the Comptroller shall have free | 20 |
| access to the office and places of business and to such records | 21 |
| of all licensees and of all trustees of the care funds of all |
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| licensees; and
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| WHEREAS, Providing a proper and respectful burial with | 3 |
| reverence and dignity for our loved ones is something every | 4 |
| person and family should expect and demand, especially after | 5 |
| the horrifying reports of grave desecrations and other unseemly | 6 |
| practices at Burr Oak Cemetery in Alsip; and
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| WHEREAS, The public needs assurance that the Comptroller is | 8 |
| effectively regulating, providing adequate oversight, and | 9 |
| disciplining owners, management, and employees of Illinois | 10 |
| cemeteries that are not in compliance with the Illinois | 11 |
| Cemetery Protection Act, Illinois Cemetery Care Act, the | 12 |
| Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales Act; and other applicable | 13 |
| laws; and
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| WHEREAS, Complaints about other cemetery problems and the | 15 |
| apparent lack of basic cemetery oversight continue surfacing | 16 |
| throughout Illinois; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 18 |
| NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 19 |
| the Auditor General is directed to conduct a performance audit | 20 |
| of the Comptroller's Cemetery Care and Burial Trust Department; | 21 |
| and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the audit include a review and audit of | 2 |
| policies and procedures currently in place to identify control | 3 |
| weakness that could have contributed to severe violations | 4 |
| committed by the Burr Oak Cemetery and other documented | 5 |
| violations that have occurred recently and make | 6 |
| recommendations for improvements, including but not limited to | 7 |
| the following: | 8 |
| (1) The Comptroller's compliance with State law | 9 |
| regarding investigation of unlawful practices of Illinois | 10 |
| cemeteries' operation and maintenance; | 11 |
| (2) The Comptroller's procedures for the evaluation, | 12 |
| tracking and timeliness of investigation of allegations | 13 |
| and complaints received regarding the operation and | 14 |
| maintenance of Illinois cemeteries; | 15 |
| (3) The adequacy of audit procedures performed when | 16 |
| conducting annual audits and on-site reviews; | 17 |
| (4) The adequacy of the required qualifications of the | 18 |
| cemetery care audit staff, including a review of field | 19 |
| staff, supervisory and management training programs and | 20 |
| monitoring of audit staff activities, efficiency and | 21 |
| effectiveness; | 22 |
| (5) The Comptroller's procedures for determining the | 23 |
| need for and nature of any recommended discipline, fines, | 24 |
| and license revocation; | 25 |
| (6) The Comptroller's procedures for conducting | 26 |
| follow-up activities to ensure that violations cited in |
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| audits and investigations are implemented and corrective | 2 |
| action is taken on a timely basis; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, The Illinois Comptroller and any other entity or | 4 |
| person that may have information relevant to this audit should | 5 |
| cooperate fully and promptly with the Auditor General's Office | 6 |
| in the conduct of this audit; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Auditor General commence this audit as | 8 |
| soon as possible and distribute this report upon completion in | 9 |
| accordance with Section 3-14 of the Illinois State Auditing | 10 |
| Act; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to | 12 |
| the Auditor General and the Illinois Comptroller.
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