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90_SJ0058
LRB9011761SMdv
1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, Those who provide funeral services and those who
3 provide burial services to recipients of public assistance
4 are reimbursed by the Department of Human Services at an
5 amount that is approximately 15% of the average rate charged
6 to provide these services; and
7 WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services currently
8 provides, on behalf of a recipient of public assistance, a
9 reimbursement of $650 for a funeral which costs on average
10 $4200 on the open market and $325 for a cemetery burial which
11 costs on average $1500 on the open market; and
12 WHEREAS, To conduct a funeral, funeral directors provide
13 a casket, a vault, embalming services, transportation,
14 preparation of the deceased for viewing and burial, and
15 funeral and graveside ceremonies and the cemetery provides a
16 grave space, grave preparation, interment, vault handling,
17 and maintenance of the site; and
18 WHEREAS, Those who provide funeral and burial services
19 are entitled to fair reimbursement for providing these
20 services to recipients of public assistance; and
21 WHEREAS, The current reimbursement rate for funeral and
22 burial services is woefully below the current cost on the
23 open market for these services; therefore be it
24 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
25 OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
26 CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Public
27 Assistance Funeral and Burial Costs Task Force to study the
28 costs of funerals and burials for persons on public
29 assistance and to determine a fair reimbursement mechanism
30 for funerals and cemetery burials; and be it further
31 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall consist of 9 members
-2- LRB9011761SMdv
1 who shall be composed of the Director of Human Services, 4
2 members of the Senate, 2 to be appointed by the President of
3 the Senate and 2 to be appointed by the Minority Leader of
4 the Senate, and 4 members of the House of Representatives, 2
5 to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
6 Representatives and 2 to be appointed by the Minority Leader
7 of the House of Representatives, all of whom shall serve
8 without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their
9 reasonable and necessary expenses from funds appropriated for
10 that purpose; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall study the costs
12 associated with funeral and burial services reimbursed by the
13 Department of Human Services and devise a reimbursement
14 scheme that reflects a fair reimbursement for these services
15 and incorporates a mechanism to automatically update the
16 reimbursement rates from time to time, and submit a written
17 report to the General Assembly, including the proposed fair
18 reimbursement rates, by July 1, 1998, and that upon filing
19 its report the Task Force is dissolved; and further be it
20 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
21 delivered to the Director of Human Services, the President of
22 the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of
23 the House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the
24 House of Representatives, the Chairperson of the Senate
25 Appropriations Committee, and the Chairperson of the House
26 Human Services Appropriations Committee.