(The Center Square) – After human remains were mishandled by a Macoupin County funeral home, Illinois state senators are discussing legislation to prevent similar incidents.
The legislation filed by state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, is in response to a funeral home in Carlinville that cremated an individual, but the remains were given to the wrong family by the funeral director.
“I have filed Senate Bill 2643 that will put procedures and protocols in place to protect families who have lost a loved one,” Turner said. “These measures would require the death-care industry to implement a mandatory unique identification tagging system for all human remains.”
Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon said there were dozens of instances of deceased individuals’ remains found to be misplaced stretching back to 2019.
Turner said those who are grieving should not have to face more heartache on top.
“When you lose a loved one, you go through that grieving process and think you’re at a good place, you’re at the end of it, then you have something horrific like this that begins that process all over again,” Turner said.
She hopes to get her bill passed through the General Assembly before the end of spring session.
Other measures have also been filed in response to the Carlinville situation. State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, this week filed legislation in Senate Bill 3263.
“The legislation that we are filing is designed to make sure human remains are treated with the serious dignity and respect they require, that bereaved families are treated fairly and that anyone who violates the law is punished accordingly,” McClure said.
If approved and passed into law, McClure’s measure would make the new punishment for any misuse of human remains a Class 4 felony.
