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Public Act 097-0593 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning regulation.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Illinois Funeral or Burial Funds Act is | ||||
amended by changing Sections 2, 3, and 3a-5 as follows:
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(225 ILCS 45/2) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73.102)
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Sec. 2.
(a) If a purchaser selects a trust arrangement to | ||||
fund the
pre-need contract, all trust deposits as determined by | ||||
Section 1b shall be made
within 30 days of receipt.
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(b) A trust established under this Act must be maintained | ||||
with a corporate fiduciary as defined in Section 1-5.05 of the | ||||
Corporate Fiduciary Act or with a foreign corporate fiduciary | ||||
recognized by Article IV of the Corporate Fiduciary Act .
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(c) Trust agreements and amendments to the trust agreements | ||||
used to
fund a pre-need contract shall be filed with the | ||||
Comptroller.
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(d) (Blank).
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(e) A seller or provider shall furnish to the trustee and | ||||
depositary the
name of each payor and the amount of payment on | ||||
each such account for which
deposit is being so made. Nothing | ||||
shall prevent the trustee from commingling the
deposits in any | ||||
such trust fund for purposes of its management and the
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investment of its funds as provided in the Common Trust Fund |
Act. In addition,
multiple trust funds maintained under this | ||
Act may be commingled or commingled
with other funeral or | ||
burial related trust funds if all record keeping
requirements | ||
imposed by law are met.
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(f) (Blank).
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(g) Upon no less than 30 days prior notice to the | ||
Comptroller, the seller may change
the trustee of
the fund. | ||
Failure to provide the Comptroller with timely prior notice is | ||
an intentional violation of this Act. | ||
(h) A trustee shall at least annually furnish to each | ||
purchaser a statement containing: (1) the receipts, | ||
disbursements, and inventory of the trust, including an | ||
explanation of any fees or expenses charged by the trustee | ||
under Section 5 of this Act or otherwise, (2) an explanation of | ||
the purchaser's right to a refund, if any, under this Act, and | ||
(3) identifying the primary regulator of the trust as a | ||
corporate fiduciary under state or federal law.
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(Source: P.A. 96-879, eff. 2-2-10.)
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(225 ILCS 45/3) (from Ch. 111 1/2, par. 73.103)
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Sec. 3. Licensing.
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(a) No person, firm, partnership, association or | ||
corporation may act as
seller without first securing from the | ||
State Comptroller a
license to
so act. Application for such | ||
license shall be in writing, signed by the
applicant and duly | ||
verified on forms furnished by the Comptroller. Each
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application shall contain at least the following:
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(1) The full name and
address (both residence and place | ||
of business) of the applicant, and
every member, officer | ||
and director thereof if the applicant is a firm,
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partnership, association, or corporation, and of every | ||
shareholder
holding
more than 10% of the corporate stock if | ||
the applicant is a corporation;
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(2) A statement of the applicant's
assets and | ||
liabilities;
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(3) The name and address of the applicant's principal
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place of business at which the books, accounts, and
records | ||
shall be available for examination by the
Comptroller as | ||
required by this Act;
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(4) The names and addresses of the applicant's branch
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locations at which pre-need sales shall be conducted and
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which shall operate under the same license number as the
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applicant's principal place of business;
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(5) For each individual listed under item (1) above, a
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detailed statement of the individual's business
experience | ||
for the 10 years immediately preceding the
application; any | ||
present or prior connection between the
individual and any | ||
other person engaged in pre-need
sales; any felony or | ||
misdemeanor convictions for which
fraud was an essential | ||
element; any charges or
complaints lodged against the | ||
individual for which fraud
was an essential element and | ||
which resulted in civil or
criminal litigation; any failure |
of the individual to
satisfy an enforceable judgment | ||
entered against him
based upon fraud; and any other | ||
information requested by
the Comptroller relating to past | ||
business practices of
the individual. Since the | ||
information required by this
item (5) may be confidential | ||
or contain proprietary
information, this information shall | ||
not be available to
other licensees or the general public | ||
and shall be used
only for the lawful purposes of the | ||
Comptroller in
enforcing this Act;
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(6) The name of the trustee and, if applicable, the
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names of the advisors to the trustee, including a copy
of | ||
the proposed trust agreement under which the trust
funds | ||
are to be held as required by this Act; and
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(7) Such other information as the Comptroller may
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reasonably require in order to determine the
qualification | ||
of the applicant to be licensed under this
Act.
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(b) Applications for
license shall be accompanied
by a | ||
fidelity bond executed by the applicant and a surety company
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authorized to do business in this State or an irrevocable, | ||
unconditional
letter of credit issued by a bank, credit union, | ||
or trust company authorized to
do business in the State of | ||
Illinois, as approved by the State Comptroller, in
such amount | ||
not exceeding $10,000 as the Comptroller may require. If, after
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notice and an opportunity to be heard, it
has been determined | ||
that a licensee has violated this Act within the past 5
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calendar years, the Comptroller may require an additional bond |
or letter of credit
from the licensee from time to time in | ||
amounts equal to one-tenth of such trust
funds, which bond or | ||
letter of credit shall run to the Comptroller for the use
and | ||
benefit of the beneficiaries of such trust funds.
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The licensee shall keep accurate accounts, books and | ||
records in this State,
at the principal place of business | ||
identified in the
licensee's license application or as | ||
otherwise approved by
the Comptroller in writing,
of
all | ||
transactions, copies of all pre-need contracts, trust | ||
agreements, and other
agreements, dates and amounts of payments | ||
made and accepted thereon, the names
and addresses of the | ||
contracting parties, the persons for whose benefit such
funds | ||
are accepted, and the names of the depositaries of such funds.
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Each licensee shall maintain the documentation for a period
of | ||
3 years after the licensee has fulfilled his obligations
under | ||
the pre-need contract. Additionally, for a period
not to exceed | ||
6 months after the performance of all terms
in a pre-need sales | ||
contract, the licensee shall maintain
copies of the contract at | ||
the licensee branch location
where the contract was entered or | ||
at some other location agreed to by the
Comptroller in writing.
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If an
insurance policy or tax-deferred annuity is used to fund | ||
the pre-need contract,
the licensee under this Act shall keep | ||
and maintain accurate accounts, books,
and records in this | ||
State, at the principal place of business identified in
the
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licensee's application or as otherwise approved by the
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Comptroller in writing,
of all insurance policies and |
tax-deferred annuities
used to fund the pre-need contract, the | ||
name and address of insured, annuitant,
and initial | ||
beneficiary, and the name and address of the insurance company
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issuing the policy or annuity. If a life insurance policy or | ||
tax-deferred
annuity is used to fund a pre-need contract, the | ||
licensee shall notify the
insurance company of the name of each | ||
pre-need contract purchaser and the
amount of each payment when | ||
the pre-need contract, insurance policy or annuity
is | ||
purchased.
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The licensee shall make reports to the Comptroller annually | ||
or at such other
time as the Comptroller may require, on forms | ||
furnished by the Comptroller. The
licensee shall file the | ||
annual report with the Comptroller within 75 days after
the end | ||
of the licensee's fiscal year. The Comptroller shall for good | ||
cause
shown grant an extension for the filing of the annual | ||
report upon the written
request of the licensee. Such extension | ||
shall not exceed 60 days. If a
licensee fails to submit an | ||
annual report to the Comptroller within the time
specified in | ||
this Section, the Comptroller shall impose upon the licensee a
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penalty of $5 per day for the first 15 days past due, $10 per | ||
day for 16 through 30 days past due, $15 per day for 31 through | ||
45 days past due, and $20 per day for the 46th day and every day | ||
thereafter for each and every day the licensee remains | ||
delinquent in
submitting the annual report. The Comptroller may | ||
abate all or part of the
$5 daily penalty for good cause shown. | ||
Every application shall be
accompanied by a check
or money |
order in the amount of $25 and every report shall be | ||
accompanied by a
check or money order in the amount of $10 | ||
payable to: Comptroller, State of
Illinois.
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The licensee shall make all required books and records | ||
pertaining to trust
funds, insurance policies, or tax-deferred | ||
annuities available to the
Comptroller for examination. The | ||
Comptroller, or a person designated by the
Comptroller who is | ||
trained to perform such examinations, may at any time
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investigate the books, records and accounts of the licensee | ||
with respect to
trust funds, insurance policies, or | ||
tax-deferred annuities and for that purpose
may require the | ||
attendance of and examine under oath all persons whose
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testimony he may require. The licensee shall pay a fee for such | ||
examination in
accordance with a schedule established by the | ||
Comptroller. The fee shall not
exceed the cost of such | ||
examination. For pre-need contracts funded by trust
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arrangements, the cost of an initial examination shall be borne | ||
by the
licensee if it
has $10,000 or more in trust funds, | ||
otherwise, by the Comptroller. The charge
made by the | ||
Comptroller for an examination shall be based upon the total | ||
amount
of trust funds held by the licensee at the end of the | ||
calendar or fiscal year
for which the report is required by | ||
this Act and shall be in accordance with
the following | ||
schedule:
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Less than $10,000 .................................no charge;
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$10,000 or more but less than $50,000 ...................$10;
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$50,000 or more but less than $100,000 ..................$40;
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$100,000 or more but less than $250,000 .................$80;
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$250,000 or more ........................................$100.
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The Comptroller may order additional audits or | ||
examinations as he or she
may deem necessary or advisable to | ||
ensure the safety and stability of the trust
funds and to | ||
ensure compliance with this Act. These additional audits or
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examinations shall only be made after good cause is established | ||
by the
Comptroller in the written order. The grounds for | ||
ordering these additional
audits or examinations may include, | ||
but shall not be limited to:
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(1) material and unverified changes or fluctuations in | ||
trust balances or
insurance or annuity policy amounts;
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(2) the licensee changing trustees more than twice in | ||
any 12-month
period;
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(3) any withdrawals or attempted withdrawals from the | ||
trusts, insurance
policies, or annuity contracts in | ||
violation of this Act; or
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(4) failure to maintain or produce documentation | ||
required by this Act for
deposits into trust accounts, | ||
trust investment activities, or life insurance or
annuity | ||
policies.
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The
licensee shall bear the full cost of that examination | ||
or audit, up to a maximum
of $20,000. The
Comptroller may elect | ||
to pay for the examination or audit and receive
reimbursement | ||
from the licensee. Payment of the costs of the examination or
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audit by a licensee shall be a condition of receiving, | ||
maintaining, or renewing
a license
under this Act. All moneys | ||
received by the Comptroller for examination or
audit fees shall | ||
be maintained in a separate account to be known as the
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Comptroller's Administrative
Fund. This
Fund, subject to | ||
appropriation by the General Assembly, may
be utilized by the | ||
Comptroller for
enforcing this Act and other purposes that may | ||
be authorized by law.
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For pre-need contracts funded by life insurance or a | ||
tax-deferred annuity,
the cost of an examination shall be borne | ||
by the licensee. The fee
schedule for such examination shall be | ||
established in rules promulgated by the
Comptroller. In the | ||
event such investigation or other information received by
the | ||
Comptroller discloses a substantial violation of the | ||
requirements of this
Act, the Comptroller shall revoke the | ||
license of such person upon a hearing as
provided in this Act. | ||
Such licensee may terminate all further responsibility
for | ||
compliance with the requirements of this Act by voluntarily | ||
surrendering
the license to the Comptroller, or in the event of | ||
its loss, furnishing the
Comptroller with a sworn statement to | ||
that effect, which states the licensee's
intention to | ||
discontinue acceptance of funds received under pre-need | ||
contracts.
Such license or statement must be accompanied by an | ||
affidavit that said
licensee has lawfully expended or refunded | ||
all funds received under pre-need
contracts, and that the | ||
licensee will accept no additional sales proceeds. The
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Comptroller shall immediately cancel or revoke said license.
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(Source: P.A. 96-879, eff. 2-2-10.)
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(225 ILCS 45/3a-5)
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Sec. 3a-5. License requirements.
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(a) Every license issued by the Comptroller shall state
the | ||
number of the license, the business name and address of
the | ||
licensee's principal place of business, each branch
location | ||
also operating under the license, and the
licensee's parent | ||
company, if any. The license shall be
conspicuously posted in | ||
each place of business operating
under the license. The | ||
Comptroller may issue such
additional licenses as may be | ||
necessary for licensee branch
locations upon compliance with | ||
the provisions of this Act
governing an original issuance of a | ||
license for each new
license.
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(b) Individual salespersons representing a licensee
shall | ||
not be required to obtain licenses in their
individual | ||
capacities, but must acknowledge, by affidavit,
that they have | ||
been provided with a copy of and have read
this Act. The | ||
licensee shall retain copies of the affidavits
of its sellers | ||
for its records and shall make the affidavits
available to the | ||
Comptroller for examination upon request.
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(c) The licensee shall be responsible for the activities
of | ||
any person representing the licensee in selling or
offering a | ||
pre-need contract for sale.
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(d) Any person not selling on behalf of a licensee shall
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obtain its own license.
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(e) No license shall be transferable or assignable
without | ||
the express written consent of the Comptroller. A
transfer of | ||
more than 50% of the ownership of any business
licensed | ||
hereunder shall be deemed to be an attempted
assignment of the | ||
license originally issued to the licensee
for which consent of | ||
the Comptroller shall be required.
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(f) Every license issued hereunder shall be renewed every 5 | ||
years for a renewal fee of $100. The renewal fee shall be | ||
deposited into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund remain in | ||
force
until it has been suspended, surrendered, or revoked in
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accordance with this Act . The Comptroller, upon the request
of | ||
an interested person or on his own motion, may issue new
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licenses to a licensee whose license or licenses have been
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revoked, if no factor or condition then exists which would
have | ||
warranted the Comptroller to originally refuse the
issuance of | ||
such license.
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(Source: P.A. 92-419, eff. 1-1-02 .)
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Section 10. The Cemetery Oversight Act is amended by | ||
changing Sections 15-15, 15-40, and 75-55 as follows: | ||
(225 ILCS 411/15-15) | ||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
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Sec. 15-15. Care funds; deposits; investments. | ||
(a) Whenever a cemetery authority accepts care funds, |
either in connection with the sale or giving away at an imputed | ||
value of an interment right, entombment right, or inurnment | ||
right, or in pursuance of a contract, or whenever, as a | ||
condition precedent to the purchase or acceptance of an | ||
interment right, entombment right, or inurnment right, such | ||
cemetery authority shall establish a care fund or deposit the | ||
funds in an already existing care fund. | ||
(b) The cemetery authority shall execute and deliver to the | ||
person from whom it received the care funds an instrument in | ||
writing that shall specifically state: (i) the nature and | ||
extent of the care to be furnished and (ii) that such care | ||
shall be furnished only in so far as net income derived from | ||
the amount deposited in trust will permit (the income from the | ||
amount so deposited, less necessary expenditures of | ||
administering the trust, shall be deemed the net income). | ||
(c) The setting-aside and deposit of care funds shall be | ||
made by such cemetery authority no later than 30 days after the | ||
close of the month in which the cemetery authority gave away | ||
for an imputed value or received the final payment on the | ||
purchase price of interment rights, entombment rights, or | ||
inurnment rights, or received the final payment for the general | ||
or special care of a lot, grave, crypt, or niche or of a family | ||
mausoleum, memorial, marker, or monument, and such amounts | ||
shall be held by the trustee of the care funds of such cemetery | ||
authority in trust and in perpetuity for the specific purposes | ||
stated in the written instrument described in subsection (b). |
For all care funds received by a cemetery authority, except for | ||
care funds received by a cemetery authority pursuant to a | ||
specific gift, grant, contribution, payment, legacy, or | ||
contract that are subject to investment restrictions more | ||
restrictive than the investment provisions set forth in this | ||
Act, and except for care funds otherwise subject to a trust | ||
agreement executed by a person or persons responsible for | ||
transferring the specific gift, grant, contribution, payment, | ||
or legacy to the cemetery authority that contains investment | ||
restrictions more restrictive than the investment provisions | ||
set forth in this Act, the cemetery authority may, without the | ||
necessity of having to obtain prior approval from any court in | ||
this State, designate a new trustee in accordance with this Act | ||
and invest the care funds in accordance with this Section, | ||
notwithstanding any contrary limitation contained in the trust | ||
agreement. | ||
(d) Any cemetery authority engaged in selling or giving | ||
away at an imputed value interment rights, entombment rights, | ||
or inurnment rights, in conjunction with the selling or giving | ||
away at an imputed value any other merchandise or services not | ||
covered by this Act, shall be prohibited from increasing the | ||
sales price or imputed value of those items not requiring a | ||
care fund deposit under this Act with the purpose of allocating | ||
a lesser sales price or imputed value to items that require a | ||
care fund deposit. | ||
(e) If any sale that requires a deposit to a cemetery |
authority's care fund is made by a cemetery authority on an | ||
installment basis, and the installment contract is factored, | ||
discounted, or sold to a third party, then the cemetery | ||
authority shall deposit the amount due to the care fund within | ||
30 days after the close of the month in which the installment | ||
contract was factored, discounted, or sold. If, subsequent to | ||
such deposit, the purchaser defaults on the contract such that | ||
no care fund deposit on that contract would have been required, | ||
then the cemetery authority may apply the amount deposited as a | ||
credit against future required deposits. | ||
(f) The trust authorized by this Section shall be a single | ||
purpose trust fund. In the event of the cemetery authority's | ||
bankruptcy, insolvency, or assignment for the benefit of | ||
creditors, or an adverse judgment, the trust funds shall not be | ||
available to any creditor as assets of the cemetery authority | ||
or to pay any expenses of any bankruptcy or similar proceeding, | ||
but shall be retained intact to provide for the future | ||
maintenance of the cemetery. Except in an action by the | ||
Department to revoke a license issued pursuant to this Act and | ||
for creation of a receivership as provided in this Act, the | ||
trust shall not be subject to judgment, execution, garnishment, | ||
attachment, or other seizure by process in bankruptcy or | ||
otherwise, nor to sale, pledge, mortgage, or other alienation, | ||
and shall not be assignable except as approved by the | ||
Comptroller Department .
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(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-10.) |
(225 ILCS 411/15-40) | ||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
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Sec. 15-40. Trust examinations and audits. | ||
(a) The Comptroller Department shall examine at least | ||
annually every licensee who holds $250,000 or more in its care | ||
funds. For that purpose, the Comptroller Department shall have | ||
free access to the office and places of business and to such | ||
records of all licensees and of all trustees of the care funds | ||
of all licensees as shall relate to the acceptance, use, and | ||
investment of care funds. The Comptroller Department may | ||
require the attendance of and examine under oath all persons | ||
whose testimony may be required relative to such business. In | ||
such cases the Comptroller Department , or any qualified | ||
representative of the Comptroller Department whom the | ||
Comptroller Department may designate, may administer oaths to | ||
all such persons called as witnesses, and the Comptroller | ||
Department , or any such qualified representative of the | ||
Comptroller Department , may conduct such examinations. The | ||
cost of an initial examination shall be determined by rule. | ||
(b) The Comptroller Department may order additional audits | ||
or examinations as it may deem necessary or advisable to ensure | ||
the safety and stability of the trust funds and to ensure | ||
compliance with this Act. These additional audits or | ||
examinations shall only be made after good cause is established | ||
by the Comptroller Department in the written order. The grounds |
for ordering these additional audits or examinations may | ||
include, but shall not be limited to:
| ||
(1) material and unverified changes or fluctuations in | ||
trust balances; | ||
(2) the licensee changing trustees more than twice in | ||
any 12-month period; | ||
(3) any withdrawals or attempted withdrawals from the | ||
trusts in violation of this Act; or | ||
(4) failure to maintain or produce documentation | ||
required by this Act.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-10.) | ||
(225 ILCS 411/75-55) | ||
(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2021)
| ||
Sec. 75-55. Transition.
| ||
(a) Within 60 days after the effective date of this Act, | ||
the Comptroller shall provide the Department copies of records | ||
in the Comptroller's possession pertaining to the Cemetery Care | ||
Act and the Crematory Regulation Act that are necessary for the | ||
Department's immediate responsibilities under this Act. All | ||
other records pertaining to the Cemetery Care Act with the | ||
exception of records pertaining to care funds and the Crematory | ||
Regulation Act shall be transferred to the Department by March | ||
1, 2012. In the case of records that pertain both to the | ||
administration of the Cemetery Care Act or the Crematory | ||
Regulation Act and to a function retained by the Comptroller, |
the Comptroller, in consultation with the Department, shall | ||
determine, within 60 days after the repeal of the Cemetery Care | ||
Act, whether the records shall be transferred, copied, or left | ||
with the Comptroller; until this determination has been made | ||
the transfer shall not occur . | ||
(b) (Blank). A person licensed under one of the Acts listed | ||
in subsection (a) of this Section or regulated under the | ||
Cemetery Association Act shall continue to comply with the | ||
provisions of those Acts until such time as the person is | ||
licensed under this Act or those Acts are repealed or the | ||
amendatory changes made by this amendatory Act of the 96th | ||
General Assembly take effect, as the case may be, whichever is | ||
earlier. | ||
(c) To support the costs that may be associated with | ||
implementing and maintaining a licensure and regulatory | ||
process for the licensure and regulation of cemetery | ||
authorities, cemetery managers, customer service employees, | ||
and cemetery workers, all cemetery authorities not maintaining | ||
a full exemption or partial exemption shall pay a one-time fee | ||
of $20 to the Department plus an additional charge of $1 per | ||
burial unit per year within the cemetery. The Department may | ||
establish forms for the collection of the fee established under | ||
this subsection and shall deposit such fee into the Cemetery | ||
Oversight Licensing and Disciplinary Fund. The Department may | ||
begin to collect the aforementioned fee after the effective | ||
date of this Act. In addition, the Department may establish |
rules for the collection process, which may include, but shall | ||
not be limited to, dates, forms, enforcement, or other | ||
procedures necessary for the effective collection, deposit, | ||
and
overall process regarding this Section. | ||
(d) Any cemetery authority that fails to pay to the | ||
Department the required fee or submits the incorrect amount | ||
shall be subject to the penalties provided for in Section | ||
25-110 of this Act. | ||
(e) Except as otherwise specifically provided, all fees, | ||
fines, penalties, or other moneys received or collected | ||
pursuant to this Act shall be deposited in the Cemetery | ||
Oversight Licensing and Disciplinary Fund. | ||
(f) (Blank). All proportionate funds held in the | ||
Comptroller's Administrative Fund related to unexpended moneys | ||
collected under the Cemetery Care Act and the Crematory | ||
Regulation Act shall be transferred to the Cemetery Oversight | ||
Licensing and Disciplinary Fund within 60 days after the | ||
effective date of the repeal of the Cemetery Care Act. | ||
(g) (Blank). Personnel employed by the Comptroller on | ||
February 29, 2012, to perform the duties pertaining to the | ||
administration of the Cemetery Care Act and the Crematory | ||
Regulation Act, are transferred to the Department on March 1, | ||
2012. | ||
The rights of State employees, the State, and its agencies | ||
under the Comptroller Merit Employment Code and applicable | ||
collective bargaining agreements and retirement plans are not |
affected under this Act, except that all positions transferred | ||
to the Department shall be subject to the Personnel Code | ||
effective March 1, 2012. | ||
All transferred employees who are members of collective | ||
bargaining units shall retain their seniority, continuous | ||
service, salary, and accrued benefits. During the pendency of | ||
the existing collective bargaining agreement, the rights | ||
provided for under that agreement shall not be abridged. | ||
The Department shall continue to honor during their | ||
pendency all bargaining agreements in effect at the time of the | ||
transfer and to recognize all collective bargaining | ||
representatives for the employees who perform or will perform | ||
functions transferred by this Act. For all purposes with | ||
respect to the management of the existing agreement and the | ||
negotiation and management of any successor agreements, the | ||
Department shall be deemed the employer of employees who | ||
perform or will perform functions transferred to the Department | ||
by this Act.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 96-863, eff. 3-1-10.) | ||
Section 15. The Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales Act is | ||
amended by changing Sections 6, 8, 15, and 20 as follows:
| ||
(815 ILCS 390/6) (from Ch. 21, par. 206)
| ||
Sec. 6. License application.
| ||
(a) An application for a license shall be made in writing |
to
the Comptroller on forms prescribed by him or her, signed by | ||
the applicant
under oath verified by a notary public,
and | ||
accompanied
by a non-returnable $125 $25 application fee , $100 | ||
of which shall be deposited into the Comptroller's | ||
Administrative Fund . The Comptroller may prescribe
abbreviated | ||
application forms for persons holding a license under the | ||
Cemetery
Care Act. Applications (except abbreviated | ||
applications) must include at least
the following information:
| ||
(1) The full name and address, both residence and | ||
business, of the
applicant if the applicant is an | ||
individual; of every member if applicant is
a partnership; | ||
of every member of the Board of Directors if applicant is | ||
an
association; and of every officer, director and | ||
shareholder
holding more
than 10% of the corporate stock if | ||
applicant is a corporation;
| ||
(2) A detailed statement of applicant's assets and | ||
liabilities;
| ||
(2.1) The name and address of the applicant's
principal | ||
place of business at which the books,
accounts, and records | ||
are available for examination
by the Comptroller as | ||
required by this Act;
| ||
(2.2) The name and address of the applicant's branch
| ||
locations at which pre-need sales will be conducted and
| ||
which will operate under the same license number as the
| ||
applicant's principal place of business;
| ||
(3) For each individual listed under (1) above, a |
detailed statement of
the individual's business experience | ||
for the 10 years immediately preceding
the application; any | ||
present or prior connection between the individual and
any | ||
other person engaged in pre-need sales; any felony or | ||
misdemeanor
convictions for which fraud was an essential | ||
element; any charges or
complaints lodged against the | ||
individual for which fraud was an essential
element and | ||
which resulted in civil or criminal litigation; any failure | ||
of
the individual to satisfy an enforceable judgment | ||
entered against him or
her based
upon fraud;
and any other | ||
information requested by the Comptroller relating
to the | ||
past business practices of the individual. Since the | ||
information
required by this paragraph may be confidential | ||
or contain proprietary
information, this information shall | ||
not be available to other licensees or
the general public | ||
and shall be used only for the lawful purposes of the
| ||
Comptroller in enforcing this Act;
| ||
(4) The name of the trustee and, if applicable, the | ||
names of the
advisors to the trustee, including a copy of | ||
the proposed trust agreement
under which the trust funds | ||
are to be held as required by this Act;
| ||
(5) Where applicable, the name of the corporate surety | ||
company
providing the performance bond for the | ||
construction of undeveloped spaces
and a copy of the bond; | ||
and
| ||
(6) Such other information as the Comptroller may |
reasonably require in
order to determine the qualification | ||
of the applicant to be licensed under this
Act.
| ||
(b) Applications for license shall be accompanied by a | ||
fidelity bond
executed by the applicant and a security company | ||
authorized to do business
in this State in such amount, not | ||
exceeding $10,000, as the Comptroller may
require. The | ||
Comptroller may require additional bond from time to time in
| ||
amounts equal to one-tenth of such trust funds but not to | ||
exceed $100,000,
which bond shall run to the Comptroller for | ||
the use and benefit of the
beneficiaries of such trust funds. | ||
Such licensee may by written permit of
the Comptroller be | ||
authorized to operate without additional bond, except
such | ||
fidelity bond as may be required by the Comptroller for the | ||
protection
of the licensee against loss by default by any of | ||
its employees engaged in
the handling of trust funds.
| ||
(c) Any application not acted upon within 90 days may be | ||
deemed denied.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 92-419, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||
(815 ILCS 390/8) (from Ch. 21, par. 208)
| ||
Sec. 8.
(a) Every license issued by the Comptroller shall | ||
state the
number of the license, the business name and address | ||
of the licensee's
principal place of business, each branch | ||
location also operating under the
license, and the licensee's | ||
parent company, if any. The license shall be
conspicuously | ||
posted in
each place of business operating under the license. |
The Comptroller may issue
additional licenses as may be | ||
necessary for license branch locations upon compliance with the | ||
provisions of this Act
governing an original issuance of a | ||
license for each new license.
| ||
(b) Individual salespersons representing a licensee
shall | ||
not be required
to obtain licenses in their individual | ||
capacities
but must acknowledge, by affidavit, that they have
| ||
been provided a copy of and have read this Act. The licensee | ||
must
retain copies of the affidavits of its salespersons for | ||
its
records and must make the affidavits available to the
| ||
Comptroller for examination upon request.
| ||
(c) The licensee shall be responsible for the activities of | ||
any person
representing the licensee in selling or offering a | ||
pre-need contract for sale.
| ||
(d) Any person not selling on behalf of a
licensee
shall be | ||
required to obtain his or her own license.
| ||
(e) Any person engaged in pre-need sales, as defined | ||
herein, prior to
the effective date of this Act may continue | ||
operations until the application
for license under this Act is | ||
denied; provided that such person shall make
application for a | ||
license within 60 days of the date that application forms
are | ||
made available by the Comptroller.
| ||
(f) No license shall be transferable or assignable without | ||
the express
written consent of the Comptroller. A transfer of | ||
more than 50% of the
ownership of any business licensed | ||
hereunder shall be deemed to be an attempted
assignment of the |
license originally issued to the licensee for which consent
of | ||
the Comptroller shall be required.
| ||
(g) Every license issued hereunder shall be renewed every 5 | ||
years for a fee of $100. The renewal fee shall be deposited | ||
into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund. The remain in force | ||
until the same
has been suspended, surrendered or revoked in | ||
accordance with this Act,
but the Comptroller, upon the request | ||
of an interested person or on his
own motion, may issue new | ||
licenses to a licensee whose license or licenses
have been | ||
revoked, if no factor or condition then exists which would have
| ||
warranted the Comptroller in refusing originally the issuance | ||
of such license.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 92-419, eff. 1-1-02.)
| ||
(815 ILCS 390/15) (from Ch. 21, par. 215)
| ||
Sec. 15.
(a) Whenever a seller receives anything of value | ||
under a
pre-need sales contract, the person receiving such | ||
value shall deposit 50%
of all proceeds received into one or | ||
more trust funds maintained pursuant
to this Section, except | ||
that, in the case of proceeds received for the
purchase of | ||
outer burial containers, 85% of the proceeds shall be deposited
| ||
into one or more trust funds. Such deposits shall be made until | ||
the amount
deposited in
trust equals 50% of the sales price of | ||
the cemetery merchandise, cemetery
services and undeveloped | ||
spaces included in such contract, except that, in
the case of | ||
deposits for outer burial containers, deposits shall be made |
until
the amount deposited in trust equals 85% of the sales | ||
price. In the event
an
installment contract is factored, | ||
discounted or sold to a third party, the
seller shall deposit | ||
an amount equal to 50% of the sales price of the
installment | ||
contract, except that, for the portion of the contract
| ||
attributable to the sale of outer burial containers, the seller | ||
shall deposit
an amount equal to 85% of the sales price. | ||
Proceeds required to be deposited
in trust which
are
| ||
attributable to cemetery merchandise and cemetery services | ||
shall be held
in a "Cemetery Merchandise Trust Fund". Proceeds | ||
required to be deposited
in trust which are attributable to the | ||
sale of undeveloped interment,
entombment or inurnment spaces | ||
shall be held in a "Pre-construction Trust
Fund". If | ||
merchandise is delivered for storage in a bonded warehouse, as
| ||
authorized herein, and payment of transportation or other | ||
charges totaling
more than $20 will be required in order to | ||
secure delivery to the site of
ultimate use, upon such delivery | ||
to the warehouse the seller shall deposit
to the trust fund the | ||
full amount of the actual or estimated transportation
charge. | ||
Transportation charges which have been prepaid by the seller
| ||
shall not be deposited to trust funds maintained pursuant to | ||
this Section.
As used in this Section, "all proceeds" means the | ||
entire amount paid by a
purchaser in connection with a pre-need | ||
sales contract, including finance
charges and Cemetery Care Act | ||
contributions, but excluding sales taxes
and credit life | ||
insurance premiums.
|
(b) The seller shall act as trustee of all amounts received | ||
for cemetery merchandise, services, or undeveloped spaces | ||
until those amounts have been deposited into the trust fund. | ||
All trust deposits required by this Act shall be made within 30 | ||
days
following the end of the month of receipt. The seller must | ||
retain a corporate fiduciary as an independent trustee for any | ||
amount of trust funds. Upon 30 days' prior written notice from | ||
the seller to the Comptroller, the seller may change the | ||
trustee of the trust fund. Failure to provide the Comptroller | ||
with timely prior notice is an intentional violation of this | ||
Act.
| ||
(c) A trust established under this Act must be maintained | ||
with a corporate fiduciary as defined in Section 1-5.05 of the | ||
Corporate Fiduciary Act or with a foreign corporate fiduciary | ||
recognized by Article IV of the Corporate Fiduciary Act .
| ||
(d) Funds deposited in the trust account shall be | ||
identified in the records
of the seller by the name of the | ||
purchaser. Nothing shall prevent the trustee
from commingling | ||
the deposits in any such trust fund for purposes of the
| ||
management thereof and the investment of funds therein as | ||
provided in the
"Common Trust Fund Act", approved June 24, | ||
1949, as amended. In addition,
multiple trust funds maintained | ||
pursuant to this Act may be commingled or
commingled with other | ||
funeral or burial related trust funds, provided that
all record | ||
keeping requirements imposed by or pursuant to law are met.
| ||
(e) In lieu of a pre-construction trust fund, a seller of |
undeveloped
interment, entombment or inurnment spaces may | ||
obtain and file with the
Comptroller a performance bond in an | ||
amount at least equal to 50% of the
sales price of the | ||
undeveloped spaces or the estimated cost of completing
| ||
construction, whichever is greater. The bond shall be | ||
conditioned on the
satisfactory construction and completion of | ||
the undeveloped spaces as
required in Section 19 of this Act.
| ||
Each bond obtained under this Section shall have as surety | ||
thereon a
corporate surety company incorporated under the laws | ||
of the United States,
or a State, the District of Columbia or a | ||
territory or possession of the
United States. Each such | ||
corporate surety company must be authorized to
provide | ||
performance bonds as required by this Section, have paid-up
| ||
capital of at least $250,000 in cash or its equivalent and be | ||
able to carry
out its contracts. Each pre-need seller must | ||
provide to the Comptroller,
for each corporate surety company | ||
such
seller utilizes, a statement of assets and liabilities of | ||
the corporate
surety company sworn to by the president and | ||
secretary
of the corporation by January 1 of each year.
| ||
The Comptroller shall prohibit pre-need sellers from doing | ||
new business
with a corporate surety company if the company is | ||
insolvent or is in
violation of this Section. In addition the | ||
Comptroller may direct a
pre-need seller to reinstate a | ||
pre-construction trust fund upon the
Comptroller's | ||
determination that the corporate surety company no longer is
| ||
sufficient security.
|
All performance bonds issued pursuant to this Section must | ||
be irrevocable
during the statutory term for completing | ||
construction specified in Section
19 of this Act, unless | ||
terminated sooner by the completion of construction.
| ||
(f) Whenever any pre-need contract shall be entered into | ||
and include 1)
items of cemetery merchandise and cemetery | ||
services, and 2) rights to
interment, inurnment or entombment | ||
in completed spaces without allocation
of the gross sale price | ||
among the items sold, the application of payments
received | ||
under the contract shall be allocated, first to the right to
| ||
interment, inurnment or entombment, second to items of cemetery | ||
merchandise
and cemetery services, unless some other | ||
allocation is clearly provided
in the contract.
| ||
(g) Any person engaging in pre-need sales who enters into a | ||
combination
sale which involves the sale of items covered by a | ||
trust or performance
bond requirement and any item not covered | ||
by any entrustment or bond
requirement, shall be prohibited | ||
from increasing the gross sales price of
those items not | ||
requiring entrustment with the purpose of allocating a
lesser | ||
gross sales price to items which require a trust deposit or a
| ||
performance bond.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 96-879, eff. 2-2-10.)
| ||
(815 ILCS 390/20) (from Ch. 21, par. 220)
| ||
Sec. 20. Records.
| ||
(a) Each licensee must keep accurate accounts, books and
|
records in this State
at the principal place of business | ||
identified in the
licensee's license application or as | ||
otherwise approved by
the Comptroller in writing
of all | ||
transactions, copies of agreements, dates and
amounts of | ||
payments made or received, the names and addresses of the
| ||
contracting parties, the names and addresses of persons for | ||
whose benefit
funds are received, if known, and the names of | ||
the trust depositories.
Additionally, for a period not to | ||
exceed 6 months after
the performance of all terms in a | ||
pre-need sales contract,
the licensee shall maintain copies of | ||
each pre-need
contract at the licensee branch location where | ||
the contract
was entered or at some other location agreed to by | ||
the Comptroller in
writing.
| ||
(b) Each licensee must maintain such records for a period | ||
of 3
years
after the licensee shall have fulfilled his or her | ||
obligation
under the pre-need
contract or 3 years after any | ||
stored merchandise shall have been provided
to the purchaser or | ||
beneficiary, whichever is later.
| ||
(c) Each licensee shall submit reports to the Comptroller
| ||
annually,
under oath, on forms furnished by the Comptroller. | ||
The annual report
shall
contain, but shall not be limited to, | ||
the following:
| ||
(1) An accounting of the principal deposit and | ||
additions of principal
during the fiscal year.
| ||
(2) An accounting of any withdrawal of principal or | ||
earnings.
|
(3) An accounting at the end of each fiscal year, of | ||
the total amount of
principal and earnings held.
| ||
(d) The annual report shall be filed by the licensee with | ||
the
Comptroller within 75 days after the end of the licensee's | ||
fiscal year. An
extension of up to 60 days may be granted by | ||
the Comptroller, upon a
showing of need by the licensee. Any | ||
other reports shall be in
the form
furnished or specified by | ||
the Comptroller. If a licensee fails to submit an
annual report | ||
to the Comptroller within the time specified in this Section, | ||
the
Comptroller shall impose upon the licensee a penalty of $5 | ||
per day for the first 15 days past due, $10 per day for 16 | ||
through 30 days past due, $15 per day for 31 through 45 days | ||
past due, and $20 per day for the 46th day and every day | ||
thereafter for
each and every
day the licensee remains | ||
delinquent in submitting the annual report. The
Comptroller may | ||
abate all or part of the $5 daily penalty for good cause
shown. | ||
Each
report shall be accompanied by a check or money order in | ||
the
amount of $10
payable to: Comptroller, State of Illinois.
| ||
(e) On and after the effective date of this amendatory Act | ||
of the 91st
General Assembly, a licensee may
report all | ||
required information concerning the sale of outer burial | ||
containers
on the licensee's annual report required to be filed | ||
under this Act and
shall
not be required to report that | ||
information under the Illinois Funeral or
Burial
Funds Act, as | ||
long as the information is reported under this Act.
| ||
(Source: P.A. 91-7, eff. 1-1-00; 92-419, eff. 1-1-02.)
|
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. |