South Cook News

Napoleon Harris, III introduced SB1640 in the Illinois Senate on Feb. 4, 2025, during the general assembly session 104, according to the Illinois General Assembly.

According to the Illinois General Assembly site, the legislature summarized the bill's official text as follows: "Amends the Vital Records Act. In provisions regarding information required on forms, provides that (i) the decision with respect to burial or cremation shall be made by the authorized person and shall be properly communicated to relevant persons within 7 days after a death, and (ii) the funeral director shall indicate the name of cemetery on the death certificate within 7 days before burial. In provisions regarding death certificates, provides that (i) the administrator of the nursing home, hospital, or hospice facility where the death occurred shall be responsible for creating the death registration file in the electronic reporting system for death registrations, and (ii) signatures may be electronic."

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill amends the Vital Records Act to streamline the process of death registration and certification. It mandates that the decision regarding burial or cremation must be communicated to relevant parties within seven days of death, and the funeral director must indicate the cemetery's name on the death certificate prior to burial. The responsibility for creating a death registration file now falls to the administrator of the nursing home, hospital, or hospice where the death occurred, with electronic signatures permitted. Additionally, the bill requires that death certificates note if methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, clostridium difficile, or vancomycin-resistant enterococci contributed to the cause of death, with the potential to include more multi-drug resistant organisms by departmental rule. The bill aims to ensure accurate and timely death records, with special considerations for veterans and cases where the deceased's body is unlocatable. The changes are effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Napoleon Harris, III has proposed another two bills since the beginning of the 104th session.

Harris graduated from Northwestern University with a BA.

Napoleon Harris is currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, representing the state's 15th Senate District. He replaced previous state senator James T. Meeks in 2013.

Bills in Illinois follow a multi-step legislative process, beginning with introduction in either the House or Senate, followed by committee review, floor debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching the governor for approval or veto. The General Assembly operates on a biennial schedule, and while typically thousands of bills are introduced each session, only a fraction successfully pass through the process to become law.

You can read more about bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
SB1640	02/04/2025	Amends the Vital Records Act. In provisions regarding information required on forms, provides that (i) the decision with respect to burial or cremation shall be made by the authorized person and shall be properly communicated to relevant persons within 7 days after a death, and (ii) the funeral director shall indicate the name of cemetery on the death certificate within 7 days before burial. In provisions regarding death certificates, provides that (i) the administrator of the nursing home, hospital, or hospice facility where the death occurred shall be responsible for creating the death registration file in the electronic reporting system for death registrations, and (ii) signatures may be electronic.
SB1418	01/31/2025	Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that a group or individual plan of accident and health insurance or managed care plan amended, delivered, issued, or renewed after January 1, 2026 must provide coverage, no less than once every 12 months, for a peripheral artery disease screening test for any at-risk individual. Amends the State Employees Group Insurance Act of 1971, the Counties Code, the Illinois Municipal Code, the School Code, the Health Maintenance Organization Act, the Limited Health Service Organization Act, the Voluntary Health Services Plans Act, and the Illinois Public Aid Code to require coverage under those provisions.
SB1303	01/28/2025	Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Allows a person who rents a motor vehicle to another may hold the renter liable for physical or mechanical damage to the rented motor vehicle that occurs during the time the motor vehicle is under the rental agreement as well as loss of use which stems from such damage.