HB1367 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 25732 CPF 52081 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB1367

Introduced 1/31/2023, by Rep. Anthony DeLuca

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 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.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning health.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Crematory Regulation Act is amended by changing Sections 5, 20, 25, and 40 as follows:

(410 ILCS 18/5)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2024)

Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Address of record" means the designated address recorded by the Comptroller in the applicant's or licensee's application file or license file. It is the duty of the applicant or licensee to inform the Comptroller of any change of address within 14 days, and such changes must be made either through the Comptroller's website or by contacting the Comptroller. The address of record shall be the permanent street address of the crematory.

"Alternative container" means a receptacle, other than a casket, in which human remains are transported to the crematory and placed in the cremation chamber for cremation. An alternative container shall be (i) composed of readily combustible or consumable materials suitable for cremation, (ii) able to be closed in order to provide a complete covering for the human remains, (iii) resistant to leakage or spillage, (iv) rigid enough for handling with ease, and (v) able to provide protection for the health, safety, and personal integrity of crematory personnel.

"Authorizing agent" means a person legally entitled to designate a cemetery for the burial, entombment, or inurnment of cremated remains in a designated cemetery and to order the cremation and final disposition of specific human remains. "Authorizing agent" includes an institution of medical, mortuary, or other sciences as provided in Section 20 of the Disposition of Remains of the Indigent Act.

"Body parts" means limbs or other portions of the anatomy that are removed from a person or human remains for medical purposes during treatment, surgery, biopsy, autopsy, or medical research; or human bodies or any portion of bodies that have been donated to science for medical research purposes.

"Burial transit permit" means a permit for disposition of a dead human body or fully intact or cremated remains to a cemetery for burial, entombment, or inurnment as required by Illinois law.

"Casket" means a rigid container that is designed for the encasement of human remains, is usually constructed of wood, metal, or like material and ornamented and lined with fabric, and may or may not be combustible.

"Comptroller" means the Comptroller of the State of Illinois.

"Cremated remains" means all human remains recovered after the completion of the cremation, which may possibly include the residue of any foreign matter including casket material, bridgework, or eyeglasses, that was cremated with the human remains.

"Cremation" means the technical process, using heat and flame, or alkaline hydrolysis that reduces human remains to bone fragments. The reduction takes place through heat and evaporation or through hydrolysis. Cremation shall include the processing, and may include the pulverization, of the bone fragments.

"Cremation chamber" means the enclosed space within which the cremation takes place.

"Cremation interment container" means a rigid outer container that, subject to a cemetery's rules and regulations, is composed of concrete, steel, fiberglass, or some similar material in which an urn is placed prior to being interred in the ground, and which is designed to withstand prolonged exposure to the elements and to support the earth above the urn.

"Cremation room" means the room in which the cremation chamber is located.

"Crematory" means the building or portion of a building that houses the cremation room and the holding facility.

"Crematory authority" means the legal entity which is licensed by the Comptroller to operate a crematory and to perform cremations.

"Final disposition" means the burial, entombment, or inurnment in a cemetery of a dead human body or parts of a dead human body, whether fully intact or cremated cremation, or other disposition of a dead human body or parts of a dead human body.

"Funeral director" means a person known by the title of "funeral director", "funeral director and embalmer", or other similar words or titles, licensed by the State to practice funeral directing or funeral directing and embalming and charged with the responsibility of final disposition of all human remains, whether fully intact or cremated, in a cemetery.

"Funeral establishment" means a building or separate portion of a building having a specific street address and location and devoted to activities relating to the shelter, care, custody, and preparation of a deceased human body and may contain facilities for funeral or wake services.

"Holding facility" means an area that (i) is designated for the retention of human remains prior to cremation, (ii) complies with all applicable public health law, (iii) preserves the health and safety of the crematory authority personnel, and (iv) is secure from access by anyone other than authorized persons. A holding facility may be located in a cremation room.

"Human remains" means the body of a deceased person, including any form of body prosthesis that has been permanently attached or implanted in the body.

"Licensee" means an entity licensed under this Act. An entity that holds itself as a licensee or that is accused of unlicensed practice is considered a licensee for purposes of enforcement, investigation, hearings, and the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act.

"Niche" means a compartment or cubicle for the memorialization and permanent placement of an urn containing cremated remains.

"Person" means any person, partnership, association, corporation, limited liability company, or other entity, and in the case of any such business organization, its officers, partners, members, or shareholders possessing 25% or more of ownership of the entity.

"Processing" means the reduction of identifiable bone fragments after the completion of the cremation process to unidentifiable bone fragments by manual or mechanical means.

"Pulverization" means the reduction of identifiable bone fragments after the completion of the cremation process to granulated particles by manual or mechanical means.

"Scattering" means the process of removing cremated remains from a container and mixing them with or placing them on top of the soil or ground cover in a scattering area.

"Scattering area" means an area which may be (i) designated by a cemetery and located on dedicated cemetery property, (ii) private property of a consenting owner, or property used for outdoor recreation or (iii) natural resource conservation property owned by the Department of Natural Resources and designated as a scattering area, where cremated remains, which have been removed from their container, can be mixed with, or placed on top of, the soil or ground cover.

"Temporary container" means a receptacle for cremated remains, usually composed of cardboard, plastic, or similar material, that can be closed in a manner that prevents the leakage or spillage of the cremated remains or the entrance of foreign material, and is a single container of sufficient size to hold the cremated remains until an urn is acquired or the cremated remains are scattered.

"Urn" means a receptacle designed to encase the cremated remains.

(Source: P.A. 100-97, eff. 1-1-18; 100-526, eff. 6-1-18; 100-863, eff. 8-14-18.)

(410 ILCS 18/20)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2024)

Sec. 20. Authorization to cremate.

(a) A crematory authority shall not cremate human remains until it has received all of the following:

(1) A cremation authorization form signed, in either paper or electronic format, by an authorizing agent. The cremation authorization form shall be provided by the crematory authority and shall contain, at a minimum, the following information:

(A) The identity of the human remains and the time and date of death.

(B) The name of the funeral director and funeral establishment, if applicable, that obtained the cremation authorization.

(C) Notification as to whether the death occurred from a disease declared by the Department of Health to be infectious, contagious, communicable, or dangerous to the public health.

(D) The name of the authorizing agent and the relationship between the authorizing agent and the decedent.

(E) A representation that the authorizing agent does in fact have the right to authorize the cremation of the decedent, and that the authorizing agent is not aware of any living person who has a superior priority right to that of the authorizing agent, as set forth in Section 15. In the event there is another living person who has a superior priority right to that of the authorizing agent, the form shall contain a representation that the authorizing agent has made all reasonable efforts to contact that person, has been unable to do so, and has no reason to believe that the person would object to the cremation of the decedent.

(F) Authorization for the crematory authority to cremate the human remains.

(G) A representation that the human remains do not contain a pacemaker or any other material or implant that may be potentially hazardous or cause damage to the cremation chamber or the person performing the cremation.

(H) The name of the cemetery person authorized to receive the cremated remains from the funeral director crematory authority.

(I) The manner in which final disposition of the cremated remains is to take place, whether it be burial, entombment, or inurnment in a cemetery if known. If the cremation authorization form does not specify final disposition in a grave, crypt, niche, or scattering area, then the form may indicate that the cremated remains will be held by the crematory authority for 30 days before they are released, unless they are picked up from the crematory authority prior to that time, in person, by the authorizing agent. At the end of the 30 days the crematory authority may return the cremated remains to the authorizing agent if no final disposition arrangements are made; or at the end of 60 days the crematory authority may dispose of the cremated remains in accordance with subsection (d) of Section 40.

(J) A listing of any items of value to be delivered to the crematory authority along with the human remains, and instructions as to how the items should be handled.

(K) A specific statement as to whether the authorizing agent has made arrangements for any type of viewing of the decedent before cremation, or for a service with the decedent present before cremation in connection with the cremation, and if so, the date and time of the viewing or service and whether the crematory authority is authorized to proceed with the cremation upon receipt of the human remains.

(L) The signature, in either paper or electronic format, of the authorizing agent, attesting to the accuracy of all representations contained on the cremation authorization form, except as set forth in paragraph (M) of this subsection.

(M) If a cremation authorization form is being executed on a pre-need basis, the cremation authorization form shall contain the disclosure required by subsection (b) of Section 140.

(N) The cremation authorization form, other than pre-need cremation forms, shall also be signed, in either paper or electronic format, by a funeral director or other representative of the funeral establishment that obtained the cremation authorization. That individual shall merely execute the cremation authorization form as a witness and shall not be responsible for any of the representations made by the authorizing agent, unless the individual has actual knowledge to the contrary. The information requested by items (A), (B), (C) and (G) of this subsection, however, shall be considered to be representations of the authorizing agent. In addition, the funeral director or funeral establishment shall warrant to the crematory that the human remains delivered to the crematory authority are the human remains identified on the cremation authorization form.

(2) A completed and executed burial transit permit indicating that the human remains are to be cremated.

(3) Any other documentation required by this State.

(b) If an authorizing agent is not available to execute a cremation authorization form in person, that person may delegate that authority to another person in writing, or by sending the crematory authority a facsimile transmission that contains the name, address, and relationship of the sender to the decedent and the name and address of the individual to whom authority is delegated. Upon receipt of the written document, or facsimile transmission, telegram, or other electronic telecommunications transmission which specifies the individual to whom authority has been delegated, the crematory authority shall allow this individual to serve as the authorizing agent and to execute the cremation authorization form. The crematory authority shall be entitled to rely upon the cremation authorization form without liability.

(c) An authorizing agent who signs, in either paper or electronic format, a cremation authorization form shall be deemed to warrant the truthfulness of any facts set forth on the cremation authorization form, including that person's authority to order the cremation; except for the information required by items (C) and (G) of paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Section, unless the authorizing agent has actual knowledge to the contrary. An authorizing agent signing, in either paper or electronic format, a cremation authorization form shall be personally and individually liable for all damages occasioned by and resulting from authorizing the cremation.

(d) A crematory authority shall have authority to cremate human remains upon the receipt of a cremation authorization form signed, in either paper or electronic format, by an authorizing agent. There shall be no liability for a crematory authority that cremates human remains according to an authorization, or that releases or disposes of the cremated remains according to an authorization, except for a crematory authority's gross negligence, provided that the crematory authority performs its functions in compliance with this Act.

(e) After an authorizing agent has executed a cremation authorization form, the authorizing agent may revoke the authorization and instruct the crematory authority to cancel the cremation and to release or deliver the human remains to another crematory authority or funeral establishment. The instructions shall be provided to the crematory authority in writing. A crematory authority shall honor any instructions given to it by an authorizing agent under this Section if it receives the instructions prior to beginning the cremation of the human remains.

(Source: P.A. 102-824, eff. 1-1-23.)

(410 ILCS 18/25)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2024)

Sec. 25. Recordkeeping.

(a) The crematory authority shall furnish to the person who delivers human remains to the crematory authority a receipt signed, in either paper or electronic format, at the time of delivery by both the crematory authority and the person who delivers the human remains, showing the date and time of the delivery, the type of casket or alternative container that was delivered, the name of the person from whom the human remains were received and the name of the funeral establishment or other entity with whom the person is affiliated, the name of the person who received the human remains on behalf of the crematory authority, and the name of the decedent. The crematory shall retain a copy of this receipt in its permanent records.

(b) Upon its release of cremated remains, the funeral director crematory authority shall furnish to the cemetery that person who receives the cremated remains from the funeral director crematory authority a receipt signed, in either paper or electronic format, by both the crematory authority and the funeral director person who receives the cremated remains, showing the date and time of the release, the name of the funeral establishment or cemetery person to which whom the cremated remains were released and the name of the funeral establishment, cemetery, or other entity with whom the person is affiliated, the name of the person who released the cremated remains on behalf of the crematory authority, and the name of the decedent. The crematory shall retain a copy of this receipt in its permanent records.

(c) A crematory authority shall maintain at its place of business a permanent record of each cremation that took place at its facility which shall contain the name of the decedent, the date of the cremation, and the final disposition of the cremated remains.

(d) The crematory authority shall maintain a record of all cremated remains disposed of by the crematory authority in accordance with subsection (d) of Section 40.

(e) Upon completion of the cremation, the funeral director crematory authority shall file the burial transit permit as required by the Illinois Vital Records Act and rules adopted under that Act and the Illinois Counties Code, and transmit a photocopy of the burial transit permit along with the cremated remains to whoever receives the cremated remains from the authorizing agent unless the cremated remains are to be interred, entombed, inurned, or placed in a scattering area, in which case the crematory authority shall retain a copy of the burial transit permit and shall send the permit, along with the cremated remains, to the cemetery for interment, entombment, or inurnment, which shall file the permit with the designated agency after the interment, entombment, or inurnment, or scattering has taken place.

(f) All cemeteries shall maintain a record of all cremated remains that are disposed of on their property, provided that the cremated remains were properly transferred to the cemetery and the cemetery issued a receipt acknowledging the transfer of the cremated remains.

(Source: P.A. 102-824, eff. 1-1-23.)

(410 ILCS 18/40)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2024)

Sec. 40. Disposition of cremated remains.

(a) A licensed funeral director The authorizing agent shall be responsible for the final disposition of the cremated remains by burying, entombing, or inurning the cremated remains in a cemetery selected by the authorizing agent.

(b) Cremated remains must may be disposed of by placing them in a grave, crypt, or niche in a designated cemetery , by scattering them in a scattering area as defined in this Act, or in any manner whatever on the private property of a consenting owner.

(c) Upon the completion of the cremation process and after , and except as provided for in item (I) of paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Section 20, if the crematory authority has not been instructed to arrange for the interment, entombment, inurnment, or scattering of the cremated remains, the crematory authority shall deliver the cremated remains to the individual specified on the cremation authorization form, or if no individual is specified then to the authorizing agent. The delivery may be made in person or by registered mail. Upon receipt of the cremated remains, the individual receiving them may transport them in any manner in this State without a permit, and may dispose of them in accordance with this Section. After delivery, the funeral director crematory authority shall be discharged from any legal obligation or liability concerning the cremated remains.

(d) (Blank). If, after a period of 60 days from the date of the cremation, the authorizing agent or the agent's designee has not instructed the crematory authority to arrange for the final disposition of the cremated remains or claimed the cremated remains, the crematory authority may dispose of the cremated remains in any manner permitted by this Section. The crematory authority, however, shall keep a permanent record identifying the site of final disposition. The authorizing agent shall be responsible for reimbursing the crematory authority for all reasonable expenses incurred in disposing of the cremated remains. Upon disposing of the cremated remains, the crematory authority shall be discharged from any legal obligation or liability concerning the cremated remains. Any person who was in possession of cremated remains prior to the effective date of this Act may dispose of them in accordance with this Section.

(e) Except with the express written permission of the authorizing agent, no person shall:

(1) Dispose of cremated remains in a manner or in a location so that the cremated remains are commingled with those of another person. This prohibition shall not apply to the scattering of cremated remains at sea, by air, or in an area located in a dedicated cemetery and used exclusively for those purposes.

(2) Place cremated remains of more than one person in the same temporary container or urn.

(f) The authorizing agent has the right to request and retain up to 8 ounces of cremated remains, before final disposition, for scattering or private memorialization of the cremated remains in accordance with this Act. A funeral director shall notify an authorizing agent of the right to request and retain up to 8 ounces of cremated remains.

(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-12; 97-679, eff. 2-6-12.)