Section 117.55  Submittal of Claims

a)         Vendor or reimbursement claims under Section 117.50(a)(1) must be submitted on Department designated claim forms.  The claim forms contain a certification statement that must not be altered.  Claim forms must be legibly signed and dated in ink by the claimant. The Department will return without payment any claim form that is not properly signed, or that includes an altered certification statement.

1)         Claims not submitted within 30 calendar days after the date of death of the decedent must be accompanied by a written statement explaining the reason for the delay.

2)         If funds are available, valid late claims will be accepted in the order in which they are received.

3)         Subject to appropriations, the Department may deny any claim that is not:

A)        Submitted for the first time within 180 calendar days after the date of death of the decedent; or

B)        Re-submitted within 90 calendar days after being returned for correction or completion.

b)         Claims for disbursement for individuals eligible under Section 117.50(a)(2) are as follows:

1)         Requests for disbursement shall be submitted via the IL444-1961, Application for Funeral and Burial Assistance for the Murdered Children Program and are processed by the Funeral and Burial Unit within the Bureau of Local Office Transaction and Support Services (LOTSS).

2)         Claims not submitted within 365 calendar days after the occurrence of the crime must be accompanied by a written statement explaining the reason for the delay.

3)         A funeral establishment or cemetery authority may file an amended request or additional substantiating materials to correct inadvertent errors or omissions at any time before the original request has been disposed of by the Department. The filing of additional information or of an amended request shall be considered to have been filed at the same time as the original request.

4)         If a funeral establishment or cemetery authority does not submit all materials substantiating its disbursement request, as requested, the Department shall notify the establishment in writing of the additional items required and that it has 30 days in which to furnish those items to the Department.

5)         The disbursement request shall include:

A)        the name and address of the eligible survivor and their relationship to the child victim,

B)        the date and nature of the crime in which the disbursement request is based,

C)        the nature and extent of the injuries sustained by the child victim, and the names and addresses of those giving any medical and hospitalization treatment to the child victim,

D)        a copy of the child victim's death certificate,

E)        an affidavit of facts of death,

F)         documentation verifying an eligible survivor's household income,

G)        a copy of the invoice detailing funeral and burial expenses including any applicable taxes, surcharges, and fees,

H)        authorizing the surrender to the Department of reports, documents, and other information relating to matters under this Act and rules adopted in accordance with this Act; and

I)         such other information as the Department reasonably requires in relation to the administration of Section 30 of the Murdered Children Funeral and Burial Assistance Act.

6)         No disbursement shall be made for any portion of the request from a funeral or cemetery authority that is not substantiated by the funeral establishment or cemetery authority.

7)         A funeral establishment or cemetery authority may request an extension of time from the Department prior to the expiration of the 30-day time period.

8)         The total amount of disbursement to a funeral establishment and cemetery authority cannot exceed $10,000 for the funeral and burial expenses.

9)         Disbursement amounts shall be adjusted annually on July 1, based on the CPI-U.

10)       Payments issued by the Department shall be apportioned between the funeral establishment and cemetery authority by those eligible survivors with authority for the disposition of the human remains under the Illinois Disposition of Remains Act. [755 ILCS 80/40(b)]

11)       Payment of services shall be made within 30 days of the submission of a complete disbursement request. [305 ILCS 80/40(b)]

12)       Disbursement requests not paid within 60 days of the submission of a complete disbursement request shall accrue interest at the rate set by the Prompt Payment Act. [305 ILCS 80/40(b)]

(Source:  Amended at 50 Ill. Reg. 176, effective December 19, 2025)