State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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90_HB0955enr

      225 ILCS 41/5-15
      225 ILCS 41/10-35
          Amends the Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing Code
      to exempt licensees who have practiced funeral  directing  or
      funeral directing and embalming for 40 or more years from the
      continuing education requirements of the Act.
                                                     LRB9002981DPcc
HB0955 Enrolled                                LRB9002981DPcc
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Funeral  Directors and Embalmers
 2    Licensing Code by changing Sections 5-15 and 10-35.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The Funeral Directors and Embalmers Licensing
 6    Code  is  amended  by  changing  Sections  5-15  and 10-35 as
 7    follows:
 8        (225 ILCS 41/5-15)
 9        Sec.  5-15.  Expiration  and  renewal;  inactive  status;
10    continuing education. The expiration date and renewal  period
11    for  each  license  issued under this Article shall be set by
12    rule.  The holder of a license as a licensed funeral director
13    may  renew  the  license  during  the  month  preceding   the
14    expiration  date of the license by paying the required fee. A
15    licensed funeral director whose license has expired may  have
16    the  license  reinstated  within  5  years  from  the date of
17    expiration upon payment of the  required  reinstatement  fee.
18    The  reinstatement  shall  be  effective  as  of  the date of
19    reissuance of the license.
20        Any licensed funeral  director  whose  license  has  been
21    expired  for  more than 5 years may have the license restored
22    only by fulfilling the requirements of the Department's rules
23    and by paying the  required  restoration  fee.  However,  any
24    licensed  funeral director whose license has expired while he
25    or she has been engaged (1) in federal service on active duty
26    with the Army of the United States, the United  States  Navy,
27    the  Marine  Corps,  the  Air  Force, the Coast Guard, or the
28    State Militia called into the  service  or  training  of  the
29    United  States  of  America  or  (2) in training or education
30    under the supervision of the  United  States  preliminary  to
31    induction  into  the  military  service  may  have his or her
HB0955 Enrolled             -2-                LRB9002981DPcc
 1    license restored without paying any lapsed  renewal  fees  or
 2    restoration fee or without passing any examination if, within
 3    2  years  after  termination  of  the  service,  training  or
 4    education  other  than  by  dishonorable discharge, he or she
 5    furnishes the Department with an affidavit to the effect that
 6    he or she has been so engaged and that service,  training  or
 7    education has been so terminated.
 8        In  addition  to  any  other requirement for renewal of a
 9    license or reinstatement of  an  expired  license,  beginning
10    with  licenses  renewed or reinstated in 1993, as a condition
11    for the renewal or reinstatement of a license as  a  licensed
12    funeral director, each licensee shall provide evidence to the
13    Department  of  completion of at least 12 hours of continuing
14    education during the 24 months preceding the expiration  date
15    of  the  license, or in the case of reinstatement, during the
16    24  months  preceding  application  for  reinstatement.   The
17    continuing education sponsors shall be approved by the Board.
18    In addition, any qualified continuing  education  course  for
19    funeral  directors  offered  by  a  college,  university, the
20    Illinois Funeral  Directors  Association,  Funeral  Directors
21    Services   Association   of   Greater  Chicago,  Cook  County
22    Association of Funeral Home Owners, Inc.,  Illinois  Selected
23    Morticians  Association,  Inc.,  National  Funeral  Directors
24    Association, National Foundation of Funeral Service, National
25    Selected   Morticians,   National   Funeral   Directors   and
26    Morticians  Association,  Inc.,  International  Order  of the
27    Golden Rule, or an Illinois school of mortuary science  shall
28    be  accepted  toward satisfaction of the continuing education
29    requirements.
30        The Department  shall  establish  by  rule  a  means  for
31    verification   of  completion  of  the  continuing  education
32    required  by  this  Section.   This   verification   may   be
33    accomplished   through   audits   of  records  maintained  by
34    licensees, by requiring the  filing  of  continued  education
HB0955 Enrolled             -3-                LRB9002981DPcc
 1    certificates  with the Department or a qualified organization
 2    selected by the Department to maintain these records,  or  by
 3    other means established by the Department.
 4        A person who is licensed as a funeral director under this
 5    Act  and who has engaged in the practice of funeral directing
 6    for at least 40 years shall be  exempt  from  the  continuing
 7    education  requirements  of  this  Section.  In addition, the
 8    Department shall establish by rule an exemption or  exception
 9    for  funeral directors who, by reason of advanced age, health
10    or other extreme condition should reasonably be excused  from
11    the  continuing education requirement upon explanation to the
12    Board, the approval of the Director, or both.  Those persons,
13    identified above, who cannot attend  on-site  classes,  shall
14    have  the  opportunity  to  comply  by  completing home study
15    courses designed for them by sponsors.
16        Any funeral  director  who  notifies  the  Department  in
17    writing  on  forms  prescribed by the Department may elect to
18    place his or her license on an inactive status and  shall  be
19    excused  from completion of continuing education requirements
20    until he or she notifies the  Department  in  writing  of  an
21    intent  to  restore  the  license to active status.  While on
22    inactive status, the licensee shall only be required to pay a
23    single fee, established by the Department, to have his or her
24    license placed on inactive status.  Any  licensee  requesting
25    restoration  from inactive status shall notify the Department
26    as provided by  rule  of  the  Department  and  pay  the  fee
27    required  by  the  Department for restoration of the license.
28    Any licensee whose license is on inactive  status  shall  not
29    practice in the State of Illinois.
30        Practice  on  a license that has lapsed or been placed in
31    inactive  status  is  practicing  without  a  license  and  a
32    violation of this Act.
33    (Source: P.A. 87-966.)
HB0955 Enrolled             -4-                LRB9002981DPcc
 1        (225 ILCS 41/10-35)
 2        Sec.   10-35.  Renewal;    reinstatement;    restoration;
 3    continuing  education. The expiration date and renewal period
 4    for each license issued under this Article shall  be  set  by
 5    rule.  The holder of a license as a licensed funeral director
 6    and  embalmer  or  funeral  director and embalmer trainee may
 7    renew the license during the month preceding  the  expiration
 8    date  of  the  license by paying the required fee. A licensed
 9    funeral director and embalmer or  licensed  funeral  director
10    and  embalmer  trainee whose license has expired may have the
11    license reinstated within 5 years from the date of expiration
12    upon payment of the required reinstatement fee and fulfilling
13    the   requirements   of   the   Department's   rules.     The
14    reinstatement  of the license is effective as of the date the
15    reissuance of the license.
16        Any licensed funeral director and embalmer whose  license
17    has  been  expired for more than 5 years may have the license
18    restored only by fulfilling the requirements set forth in the
19    Department's rules and by  paying  the  required  restoration
20    fee.  However,  any licensed funeral director and embalmer or
21    licensed funeral director and embalmer trainee whose  license
22    has  expired  while he or she has been engaged (1) in federal
23    service on active duty with the Army of  the  United  States,
24    the  United States Navy, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, the
25    Coast Guard, or the State Militia called into the service  or
26    training  of  the United States of America or (2) in training
27    or education under  the  supervision  of  the  United  States
28    preliminary  to  induction into the military service may have
29    the license restored without paying any lapsed  renewal  fees
30    or  restoration  fee  or  without passing any examination if,
31    within 2 years after termination of the service, training  or
32    education  other than by dishonorable discharge, the licensee
33    furnishes the Department with an affidavit to the effect that
34    he or she has been so engaged and that his  or  her  service,
HB0955 Enrolled             -5-                LRB9002981DPcc
 1    training or education has been so terminated.
 2        No  license  of  a  funeral director and embalmer trainee
 3    shall be renewed more than twice.
 4        In addition to any other requirement  for  renewal  of  a
 5    license  or  reinstatement  of  an expired license, beginning
 6    with licenses renewed or reinstated in 1993  and  thereafter,
 7    as  a condition for the renewal or reinstatement of a license
 8    as a licensed funeral director and  embalmer,  each  licensee
 9    shall  provide evidence to the Department of completion of at
10    least 24 hours of continuing education during the  24  months
11    preceding  the expiration date of the license, or in the case
12    of  reinstatement,  within  the  24  months   preceding   the
13    application  for  reinstatement.   The  continuing  education
14    sponsors  shall  be  approved by the Board.  In addition, any
15    qualified continuing education course for  funeral  directors
16    and  embalmers offered by a college, university, the Illinois
17    Funeral Directors  Association,  Funeral  Directors  Services
18    Association  of  Greater  Chicago, Cook County Association of
19    Funeral  Home  Owners,  Inc.,  Illinois  Selected  Morticians
20    Associations, Inc., National Funeral  Directors  Association,
21    National  Foundation  of  Funeral  Service, National Selected
22    Morticians,  National  Funeral   Directors   and   Morticians
23    Association, Inc., International Order of the Golden Rule, or
24    an  Illinois  school  of  mortuary  science shall be accepted
25    toward satisfaction of the continuing education requirements.
26        The Department  shall  establish  by  rule  a  means  for
27    verification   of  completion  of  the  continuing  education
28    required  by  this  Section.   This   verification   may   be
29    accomplished   through   audits   of  records  maintained  by
30    licensees, by requiring the  filing  of  continued  education
31    certificates  with the Department or a qualified organization
32    selected by the Department to maintain  the  records,  or  by
33    other means established by the Department.
34        A  person  who  is  licensed  as  a  funeral director and
HB0955 Enrolled             -6-                LRB9002981DPcc
 1    embalmer under this Act and who has engaged in  the  practice
 2    of  funeral  directing  and  embalming  for at least 40 years
 3    shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements of
 4    this Section. In addition, the Department shall establish  by
 5    rule  an  exemption  or  exception  for funeral directors and
 6    embalmers who, by reason of advanced  age,  health  or  other
 7    extreme  condition,  should  reasonably  be  excused from the
 8    continuing education  requirement  upon  explanation  to  the
 9    Board, the approval of the Director, or both.  Those persons,
10    identified  above,  who  cannot attend on-site classes, shall
11    have the opportunity  to  comply  by  completing  home  study
12    courses designed for them by sponsors.
13        Any  funeral  director  and  embalmer  who  notifies  the
14    Department  in writing on forms prescribed by the Department,
15    may elect to place his or her license on an  inactive  status
16    and  shall be excused from completion of continuing education
17    requirements until he  or  she  notifies  the  Department  in
18    writing of an intent to restore the license to active status.
19    While on inactive status, the licensee shall only be required
20    to  pay  a single fee, established by the Department, to have
21    the  license  placed  on  inactive  status.    Any   licensee
22    requesting  restoration from inactive status shall notify the
23    Department as provided by rule of the Department and pay  the
24    fee  required  by  the  Department  for  restoration  of  the
25    license.   Any  licensee  whose license is on inactive status
26    shall not practice in the State of Illinois.
27        Practice on a license that has lapsed or been  placed  in
28    inactive  status  is  practicing  without  a  license  and  a
29    violation of this Code.
30    (Source: P.A. 87-966.)

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