Public Act 094-0669
 
HB0760 Enrolled LRB094 07853 DRJ 38034 b

    AN ACT in relation to funeral expenses.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
changing Section 12-4.11 as follows:
 
    (305 ILCS 5/12-4.11)  (from Ch. 23, par. 12-4.11)
    Sec. 12-4.11. Grant amounts. The Department, with due
regard for and subject to budgetary limitations, shall
establish grant amounts for each of the programs, by
regulation. The grant amounts may vary by program, size of
assistance unit and geographic area.
    Aid payments shall not be reduced except: (1) for changes
in the cost of items included in the grant amounts, or (2) for
changes in the expenses of the recipient, or (3) for changes in
the income or resources available to the recipient, or (4) for
changes in grants resulting from adoption of a consolidated
grant amount.
    In fixing standards to govern payments or reimbursements
for funeral and burial expenses, the Department shall establish
a minimum allowable amount of not less than $1,000 for
Department payment of funeral services and not less than $500
for Department payment of burial or cremation services. On
January 1, 2006, July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, the Department
shall increase the minimum reimbursement amount for funeral and
burial expenses under this Section by a percentage equal to the
percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban
Consumers, if any, during the 12 months immediately preceding
that January 1 or July 1. In establishing the minimum allowable
amount, the Department shall take into account the services
essential to a dignified, low-cost (i) funeral and (ii) burial
or cremation, including reasonable amounts that may be
necessary for burial space and cemetery charges, and any
applicable taxes or other required governmental fees or
charges. If no person has agreed to pay the total cost of the
(i) funeral and (ii) burial or cremation charges, the
Department shall pay the vendor the actual costs of the (i)
funeral and (ii) burial or cremation, or the minimum allowable
amount for each service as established by the Department,
whichever is less, provided that the Department reduces its
payments by the amount available from the following sources:
the decedent's assets and available resources and the
anticipated amounts of any death benefits available to the
decedent's estate, and amounts paid and arranged to be paid by
the decedent's legally responsible relatives. A legally
responsible relative is expected to pay (i) funeral and (ii)
burial or cremation expenses unless financially unable to do
so.
    Nothing contained in this Section or in any other Section
of this Code shall be construed to prohibit the Illinois
Department (1) from consolidating existing standards on the
basis of any standards which are or were in effect on, or
subsequent to July 1, 1969, or (2) from employing any
consolidated standards in determining need for public aid and
the amount of money payment or grant for individual recipients
or recipient families.
(Source: P.A. 91-24, eff. 7-1-99; 92-419, eff. 1-1-02.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 8/23/2005