(755 ILCS 66/15)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on December 31, 2027)

Sec. 15. Donation of unclaimed cadavers in the custody of the State.

(a) The director of any State facility in custody of a cadaver shall make reasonable efforts to contact a family member or other person responsible for the disposition of the remains for the purpose of claiming the remains.

(b) If a family member or other person responsible for the disposition of the remains requests the remains, the person must remove or make arrangements to remove the remains within 72 hours of notice from the facility.

(c) If, after making reasonable efforts to contact a family member or other person responsible for the disposition of the remains, the cadaver is unclaimed or if a person claiming the remains has failed to remove or make arrangements to remove the cadaver within 72 hours of notice from the facility, the State facility director shall contribute the cadaver to a qualified medical science institution for use in the advancement of medical science as designated by the Department under Section 30 of this Act unless it is necessary to preserve the body for law enforcement purposes or the decedent has left written instructions that he or she does not wish to be cremated or donated for medical science.

(d) The State facility director shall as soon as is practicable after the end of the 72-hour notice period:

(1) verify, if known, or make good faith efforts to discover, if not known, identifying information regarding the decedent, including ethnicity, religious affiliation, and former associations;

(2) after such verification or discovery, provide to the Department all information in its possession relating to the decedent;

(3) preserve all information submitted to the Department along with information on how the State facility obtained or attempted to obtain information regarding the decedent, including persons contacted, time of contact, name of contact, and documents reviewed.

(e) If a cadaver is contributed to a qualified medical science institution under this Section, the State facility director shall provide to the institution the name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the family member or other responsible party, if known.

(f) A qualified medical science institution receiving a cadaver pursuant to this Section is responsible for all costs related to the contribution, including transportation of the remains.

(Source: P.A. 100-526, eff. 6-1-18.)