A bill that would aim to prevent families from receiving the wrong remains of their loved ones has now passed one chamber of the statehouse.
WCIA reports that State Senator Doris Turner’s bill filed in November that would require ll funeral and crematory establishments in the state to include chain of custody records and start implementing a system to track uniquely identified remains passed the Illinois Senate on Tuesday.
The bill also requires the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to inspect the premises of any funeral home or crematory within 10 calendar days after receiving a complaint.
The bill came in the wake of Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon opening an investigation into the mishandling of remains at Heinz Funeral Home in Carlinville this past September after complaints were filed with IDFPR in March 2023.
A related bill filed by State Senator Steve McClure that would criminalize the mishandling of remains to a Class 4 felony has not yet left committee.
Turner’s bill now heads to the House for a vote.