Based on a recent investigation into an Illinois funeral home providing the wrong cremated remains to a family, a new bill has been introduced to legislation to help hold funeral homes and crematories more accountable with chain of custody.

What To Know About The Proposed Bill

The bill, IL SB2643, also known as the Integrity in Death Care Act, was brought forward by Senator Doris Turner. If the bill passes, it aims to go into effect for all funeral businesses in the state of Illinois starting in 2025. Here is a quick synopsis of what the bill entails:

“Creates the Reestablishing Integrity in Death Care Act. Provides that no later than January 1, 2025, when a death occurs within the State, the deceased’s body, body bag, and any body part, organ, or tissue separated from the deceased to be used in nontransplant organ donation shall be affixed with a unique identifier, and chain of custody documentation shall be maintained for all dead bodies and human remains.”

Here is what that means if it passes: starting in 2025, Illinois funeral homes and crematories will be required to establish a chain of custody and unique identification system that tracks the remains of a deceased individual whose death occurred in Illinois, from death to final disposition.

What Does This Bill Aim to Accomplish?

The bill aims to hold funeral homes and crematories more accountable when it comes to the responsibility of handling a decedent’s remains in the state of Illinois. There are two overarching moral goals with this new act:

1. Prevent the misidentification of dead bodies or human remains.
2. Prevent the misplacement of dead bodies or human remains.

How Should Illinois Funeral Homes Prepare?

Illinois funeral homes should be exploring decedent tracking software or a digital body tracking system as soon as possible. A digital system allows for businesses to onboard and scale the system much quicker than a pen-and-paper system. Additionally, a digital system doesn’t allow for as much room for error, and the information is stored on a digital cloud for quick reference.

There are 2 key pieces of functionality that every Illinois funeral home should be looking for:

• Chain of Custody Documentation: funeral homes will need a way to document the continuous location and control of a decedent’s remains, a list of every death care provider that completed a tracking step or helped with the remains, a list of each service or step performed in the care of the remains, and a signature of the individual that completes the final disposition.
  
• Unique Identifier System: funeral homes will need a seamless system to properly identify remains, belongings, and anything else associated with a decedent. This unique identification system could be conducted through tagging, numbering, or even code.

What Does This Mean For Other States?

If this bill passes, it is expected that other states may follow this groundbreaking legislation, which could mean that funeral homes in more states will need to establish a solid chain of custody system for their business.

Protect Your Business With KeepTrack™

By investing in a digital body and belonging tracking system like KeepTrack™, your funeral home business will protect your reputation and ensure that every decedent in your care is properly identified. Here is a quick overview of features that your funeral home or crematory will unlock with KeepTrack™:

• Body and Belonging Tracking
• Digital Tracking WhiteBoard with Unlimited Tracking Locations
• KeepTrack Certification Course
• Unlimited Identification Tag Printing
• Pre-Requisite Step Configuration
• Required Digital Employee Signatures
• Customizable Tracking Steps
• Digital Fingerprint Storage
• Configurable Automated Family Updates for Additional Transparency

Plus, KeepTrack™ integrates perfectly into Gather’s case management platform, so not only are you able to track every decedent’s location, but you can also manage forms, e-signatures, process payments, and complete administrative tasks all for the same case.

Schedule a demo of KeepTrack™ today, learn how simple it is to get started, and get ahead of the curve.