Sangamon Sun

On May 22, 2024, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 2643 with bipartisan support. State Representative Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) and State Representative Wayne Rosenthal (R-Morrisonville), House sponsors of the bill, assert that it will protect families from funeral home directors mishandling human remains.

"I fully support this legislation because families should never have to wonder if they received the proper remains of a loved one," said Rep. Coffey. "Funeral home directors who conduct criminal acts must be held accountable, and this bill will ensure that Illinois families are protected from criminal acts within funeral homes."

SB2643 mandates that embalmers or funeral directors follow identification rules and regulations for handling and storing human remains. Funeral homes must use a unique identifier and maintain chain of custody documentation to ensure proper handling.

An amendment to the bill stipulates that individuals who engage in funeral directing or embalming without a license will face a Class A misdemeanor. This penalty also applies to the mishandling or misidentification of human remains.

"I'm happy this bill had bipartisan support in efforts to hold funeral home directors responsible for mishandling human remains and engaging in criminal acts," said Rep. Rosenthal. "The Carlinville funeral home investigation led to this legislation, and I look forward to the Governor’s signature on this bill."

SB2643 passed unanimously through both Houses and must return to the Senate for concurrence before being signed into law by the Governor.