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92_SR0040
LRB9207904RHrhA
1 SENATE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Public attention has recently been directed at
3 what role, if any, Illinois State government should play in
4 cleaning up abandoned cemeteries; and
5 WHEREAS, The matter of abandoned cemeteries has been
6 longstanding in Illinois, there being a variety of reasons
7 why cemeteries have come to be abandoned, such as: (a) a
8 township or other public cemetery may have become abandoned
9 over time because the involved unit of local government may
10 have lacked the financial resources to maintain the cemetery;
11 (b) a religious cemetery may have become abandoned where the
12 congregation has long ago ceased to exist; (c) or a private
13 or family cemetery may have become abandoned where the family
14 has long since moved away, or for other reasons; and
15 WHEREAS, Illinois State government has not previously
16 undertaken direct responsibility for the clean up of
17 abandoned cemeteries, with such effort having historically
18 been undertaken in significant part by local civic,
19 charitable and government entities, such as the commendable
20 work of Illinois veterans organizations; and
21 WHEREAS, Whether Illinois State government should accept
22 the responsibility for the clean up of abandoned cemeteries
23 is a question of public policy that is worthy of
24 consideration and study; and
25 WHEREAS, The further question of how to finance and
26 administer such an Illinois State government program, if one
27 were to be established, is similarly worthy of consideration
28 and study; and
29 WHEREAS, Any means of financing such a new program, if
30 one is created, should not unreasonably discriminate against
31 any industry or segment of an industry; therefore, be it
-2- LRB9207904RHrhA
1 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL
2 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that a committee of the
3 Senate study the question of whether abandoned cemeteries
4 should be the responsibility of Illinois State government;
5 and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That, if the committee determines that
7 abandoned cemeteries should be an Illinois State government
8 responsibility, the committee further study how such a new
9 program might be financed and administered; and be it further
10 RESOLVED, That the committee study additional related
11 questions as it deems appropriate, and that it involve in its
12 deliberations representatives of those organizations whose
13 membership provides cemetery and funeral services, together
14 with appropriate interest group representatives; and be it
15 further
16 RESOLVED, That any findings and recommendations from such
17 study be reported to the Senate no later that December 1,
18 2001.