(815 ILCS 318/1)
Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Companion Animal Cremation Act.
(Source: P.A. 92-287, eff. 1-1-02.)
(815 ILCS 318/5)
Sec. 5. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise:
"Companion animal" or "animal" means a deceased animal that had a companion or pet relationship with an owner at the time of the animal's death.
"Provider of companion animal cremation services" or "provider" means a person, company, or other entity engaging in the business of cremating deceased companion animals in Illinois.
"Cremation remains" means the material remaining after the cremation of an animal, which may include ashes, skeletal remains, and other residue resulting from the incineration process, and may be pulverized or otherwise processed by the provider of cremation services.
"Individually partitioned cremation" means a cremation process in which either (i) only one companion animal at a time is cremated in the incinerator or (ii) more than one companion animal is cremated in the incinerator at the same time, but each of the animals is completely separated from the others by partitions during the cremation process; and in which the commingling of significant amounts of cremation remains from different animals is unlikely to occur.
"Communal cremation" means a cremation process in which companion animals are cremated together without effective partitions or separation during the cremation process, and in which the commingling of significant amounts of cremation remains from different animals is likely or certain to occur.
"Commingling of significant amounts of cremation remains from different animals" means that specific cremation remains cannot be attributed to a particular animal, or that the cremation remains attributed to one companion animal contain more than 1% by weight of cremation remains from one or more other companion animals. The presence, in the cremation remains of a companion animal, of the remains of any creature that was contained within the body of that animal at the time of cremation (including parasites, insects, and food or creatures eaten by that companion animal) does not constitute "commingling" for the purposes of this Act.
A person or business entity is deemed to refer animal owners or bring business to a provider "on a regular basis" if the person or entity (i) has an ongoing contractual or agency relationship with the provider relating to the cremation of companion animals, (ii) receives any compensation or consideration from the provider or animal owners relating to the cremation of companion animals by the provider, or (iii) refers or brings to the provider the business of more than 5 animal owners in an average month.
(Source: P.A. 92-287, eff. 1-1-02.)
(815 ILCS 318/10)
Sec. 10. Written explanation of services.
(a) A provider of companion animal cremation services must prepare a written explanation of the services offered, which may but need not be in the form of a brochure.
The written explanation of services must include a detailed explanation of each service offered. For each type or level of cremation service offered, the written explanation of services shall disclose the specific services to be provided.
If any part of the deceased companion animal will be removed, used, or sold by the provider before or after the cremation, the written explanation of services must disclose that fact.
(b) The written explanation of services must not include any false or misleading information. A written explanation of services is misleading if:
(c) A provider of companion animal cremation services shall provide the written explanation of services, without charge:
(d) The preparation or distribution by a provider of a written explanation of services that the provider knows or should know to be false or misleading constitutes a business offense, punishable by a fine of at least $1,001 but not more than $1,500 for a first offense and at least $2,000 but not more than $2,500 for each subsequent offense.
A knowing failure to prepare or distribute a written explanation of services as required by this Section constitutes a business offense, punishable by a fine of at least $1,001 but not more than $1,500 for a first offense and at least $2,000 but not more than $2,500 for each subsequent offense.
(Source: P.A. 92-287, eff. 1-1-02.)
(815 ILCS 318/15)
Sec. 15. Persons referring or bringing business to a provider.
(a) A veterinarian, pet shop, or other person or business entity that refers owners of deceased animals, or persons making arrangements on an owner's behalf, to a provider on a regular basis shall make available a copy of the provider's written explanation of services to the animal owner, or person making arrangements on the owner's behalf, at the time of the referral.
(b) A veterinarian, pet shop, or other person or business entity that accepts deceased companion animals for cremation through services obtained from a provider on a regular basis shall make available a copy of the provider's written explanation of services to each animal owner, or person making arrangements on the owner's behalf, from whom a deceased companion animal is accepted.
(c) It is sufficient for compliance with this Section that a copy of the written explanation of services is given to the animal owner, or the person making arrangements on the owner's behalf, at the time the services are offered.
(d) Publishing or otherwise disseminating advertising for a provider of companion animal cremation services does not, in itself, constitute referring or bringing business to that provider for the purposes of this Section.
(Source: P.A. 92-287, eff. 1-1-02.)
(815 ILCS 318/20)
Sec. 20. Certification; penalty for false certification.
(a) Whenever a provider of companion animal cremation services undertakes to provide services that include the return of the cremation remains of the cremated animal, the provider shall include a certification along with the returned cremation remains, declaring to the best of the provider's knowledge and belief that, except as otherwise specifically indicated in the certificate, the cremation and any other services specified were provided in accordance with the representations of the provider in the applicable portions of the provider's written explanation of services.
(b) To knowingly make a false certification under subsection (a) is a business offense, punishable by a fine of at least $1,001 but not more than $1,500 for a first offense and at least $2,000 but not more than $2,500 for each subsequent offense.
(Source: P.A. 92-287, eff. 1-1-02.)
(815 ILCS 318/95)
Sec. 95. (Amendatory provisions; text omitted).
(Source: P.A. 92-287, eff. 1-1-02; text omitted.)