Public Act 0408 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SB0663 Enrolled LRB099 06243 MLM 26311 b

Public Act 099-0408

AN ACT concerning government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Coroner Training Board Act.

Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Board" means the Coroner Training Board.

"Coroner" means coroners and deputy coroners.

"Coroner training school" means any school located within or outside the State of Illinois whether privately or publicly owned which offers a course in coroner training and has been approved by the Board.

"Forensic pathologist" means a board certified pathologist by the American Board of Pathology.

"Local governmental agency" means any local governmental unit or municipal corporation in this State. It does not include the State of Illinois or any office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, commission, or agency of the State.

Section 10. Board; composition; appointments; tenure; vacancies. The Board shall be composed of 5 members who shall be appointed by the Governor as follows: 2 coroners, one forensic pathologist from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, one forensic pathologist from a county other than Cook County, and one citizen of Illinois who is not currently or was a coroner or forensic pathologist. The initial appointments by the Governor shall be made on the first Monday of August in 2016 and the initial appointments' terms shall be as follows: one coroner and one forensic pathologist shall be for a period of one year, the second coroner and the second forensic pathologist for 3 years, and the citizen for a period of 3 years. Their successors shall be appointed in like manner for terms to expire the first Monday of August each 3 years thereafter. All members shall serve until their respective successors are appointed and qualify. Vacancies shall be filled by the Governor for the unexpired terms.

Section 15. Initial board meeting; election of officers. The initial meeting of the Board shall be held no later than August 31, 2016. The Board shall elect from its number a Chairman and Vice-Chairman, adopt rules of procedure, and shall meet at least 4 times each year.

The Board may employ an Executive Director and other necessary clerical and technical personnel. Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time by the Chairman or upon the request of any 2 members. The members of the Board shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled to reimbursement for their actual expenses in attending meetings and in the performance of their duties hereunder from funds appropriated for that purpose.

Section 20. Powers of the Board. The Board has the following powers and duties:

(a) To require units of local government to furnish such reports and information as the Board deems necessary to fully implement this Act.

(b) To establish by rule appropriate mandatory minimum standards relating to the training of coroners, including, but not limited to, Part 1760 of Chapter V of Title 20 of the Illinois Administrative Code. The Board shall consult with the Illinois Coroners and Medical Examiners Association when adopting mandatory minimum standards.

(c) To provide appropriate certification to those coroners who successfully complete the prescribed minimum standard basic training course.

(d) To review and approve annual training curriculum for coroners.

(e) To review and approve applicants to ensure no applicant is admitted to a coroner training school unless the applicant is a person of good character and has not been convicted of a felony offense, any of the misdemeanors in Sections 11-1.50, 11-6, 11-9.1, 11-14, 11-17, 11-19, 12-2, 12-15, 16-1, 17-1, 17-2, 28-3, 29-1, 31-1, 31-6, 31-7, 32-4a, or 32-7 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, subdivision (a)(1) or (a)(2)(C) of Section 11-14.3 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or subsection (a) of Section 17-32 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or Section 5 or 5.2 of the Cannabis Control Act, or a crime involving moral turpitude under the laws of this State or any other state which if committed in this State would be punishable as a felony or a crime of moral turpitude. The Board may appoint investigators who shall enforce the duties conferred upon the Board by this Act.

Section 25. Selection and certification of schools. The Board shall select and certify coroner training schools within or outside the State of Illinois for the purpose of providing basic training for coroners and of providing advanced or in-service training for coroners, which schools may be either publicly or privately owned and operated.

Section 30. Death investigation training; waiver for experience.

(a) The Board shall conduct or approve a training program in death investigation for the training of coroners. Only coroners who successfully complete the training program may be assigned as lead investigators in a coroner's investigations. Satisfactory completion of the training program shall be evidenced by a certificate issued to the coroner by the Board.

(b) The Board shall develop a process for waiver applications sent from a coroner's office for those coroners whose prior training and experience as a death or homicide investigator may qualify them for a waiver. The Board may issue a waiver at its discretion, based solely on the prior training and experience of a coroner as a death or homicide investigator.

Section 35. Acceptance of contributions and gifts. The Board may accept contributions, capital grants, gifts, donations, services or other financial assistance from any individual, association, corporation, the United States of America and any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or any other organization having a legitimate interest in coroner training.

Section 40. The Illinois Police Training Act is amended by changing Sections 1 and 10.11 as follows:

(50 ILCS 705/1) (from Ch. 85, par. 501)

Sec. 1. It is hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination that in order to promote and protect citizen health, safety and welfare, it is necessary and in the public interest to provide for the creation of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board for the purpose of encouraging and aiding municipalities, counties, park districts, State controlled universities, colleges, and public community colleges, and other local governmental agencies of this State and participating State agencies in their efforts to raise the level of law enforcement by upgrading and maintaining a high level of training and standards for law enforcement executives and officers, county corrections officers, sheriffs, county coroners, and law enforcement support personnel under this Act. It is declared to be the responsibility of the board to ensure the required participation of the pertinent local governmental units in the programs established under this Act, to encourage the voluntary participation of other local governmental units and participating State agencies, to set standards, develop and provide quality training and education, and to aid in the establishment of adequate training facilities.

(Source: P.A. 88-586, eff. 8-12-94.)

(50 ILCS 705/10.11)

Sec. 10.11. Training; death and homicide investigation. The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board shall conduct or approve a training program in death and homicide investigation for the training of law enforcement officers of local government agencies and coroners. Only law enforcement officers and coroners who successfully complete the training program may be assigned as lead investigators in death and homicide investigations and coroner's investigations, respectively. Satisfactory completion of the training program shall be evidenced by a certificate issued to the law enforcement officer or coroner by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board shall develop a process for waiver applications sent by a local law enforcement agency administrator or from a coroner's office for those officers or coroners whose prior training and experience as homicide investigators may qualify them for a waiver. The Board may issue a waiver at its discretion, based solely on the prior training and experience of an officer or a coroner as a homicide investigator. This Section does not affect or impede the powers of the office of the coroner to investigate all deaths as provided in Division 3-3 of the Counties Code and the Coroner Training Board Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-1111, eff. 1-1-12; 97-553, eff. 1-1-12; 97-1009, eff. 1-1-13.)

Section 45. The Counties Code is amended by changing Section 3-3001 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/3-3001) (from Ch. 34, par. 3-3001)

Sec. 3-3001. Commission; training; duties performed by other county officer.

(a) Every coroner shall be commissioned by the Governor, but no commission shall issue except upon the certificate of the county clerk of the proper county of the due election or appointment of the coroner and that the coroner has filed his or her bond and taken the oath of office as provided in this Division.

(b) (1) Within 30 days of assuming office, a coroner elected to that office for the first time shall apply for admission to the Coroner Training Board Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board coroners training program. Completion of the training program shall be within 6 months of application. Any coroner may direct the chief deputy coroner or a deputy coroner, or both, to attend the training program, provided the coroner has completed the training program. Satisfactory completion of the program shall be evidenced by a certificate issued to the coroner by the Coroner Training Board Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. All coroners shall complete the training program at least once while serving as coroner.

(2) In developing the coroner training program, the Coroner Training Board Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall consult with the Illinois Coroners and Medical Examiners Association or other organization as approved by the Coroner Training Board and the Illinois Necropsy Board.

(3) The Coroner Training Board Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board shall notify the proper county board of the failure by a coroner to successfully complete this training program.

(c) Every coroner shall attend at least 24 hours of accredited continuing education for coroners in each calendar year.

(d) In all counties that provide by resolution for the elimination of the office of coroner pursuant to a referendum, the resolution may also provide, as part of the same proposition, that the duties of the coroner be taken over by another county officer specified by the resolution and proposition.

(Source: P.A. 87-255; 88-586, eff. 8-12-94.)

Section 50. The Vital Records Act is amended by changing Section 25.5 as follows:

(410 ILCS 535/25.5)

Sec. 25.5. Death Certificate Surcharge Fund. The additional $2 fee for certified copies of death certificates and fetal death certificates must be deposited into the Death Certificate Surcharge Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury. Beginning 30 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly and until January 1, 2003 and then beginning again on July 1, 2003 and until July 1, 2005, moneys in the Fund, subject to appropriation, may be used by the Department for the purpose of implementing an electronic reporting system for death registrations as provided in Section 18.5 of this Act. Before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 92nd General Assembly, on and after January 1, 2003 and until July 1, 2003, and on and after July 1, 2005, moneys in the Fund, subject to appropriations, may be used as follows: (i) 25% by the Coroner Training Board Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board for the purpose of training coroners, deputy coroners, forensic pathologists, and police officers for death homicide investigations and lodging and travel expenses relating to training, (ii) 25% for grants by the Department of Public Health for distribution to all local county coroners and medical examiners or officials charged with the duties set forth under Division 3-3 of the Counties Code, who have a different title, for equipment and lab facilities, (iii) 25% by the Department of Public Health for the purpose of setting up a statewide database of death certificates and implementing an electronic reporting system for death registrations pursuant to Section 18.5, and (iv) 25% for a grant by the Department of Public Health to local registrars.

(Source: P.A. 92-16, eff. 6-28-01; 92-141, eff. 7-24-01; 93-45, 7-1-03.)

Effective Date: 1/1/2016