SPRINGFIELD – To ensure Illinois families are able to scatter their loved one’s ashes safely and ethically, State Senator Laura Ellman is leading a measure that would allow cremated remains to be scattered in Illinois rivers in certain circumstances.

“Losing a loved one is difficult for any family, especially when those families must handle funeral or cremation expenses while also finding time to grieve and support one another,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “Some families with certain religious tenets, such as some of my Hindu constituents, must arrange for the scattering of their loved one’s remains in flowing water, but Illinois law wasn’t clear on whether that’s allowed.”

Currently, Illinois law allows for the scattering of cremated ashes in designated areas with permit approval from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The existing definition of “scattering areas” is limited to soil or ground cover. Ellman’s bill would allow families to scatter one individual’s cremated remains in a river in situations where a tenet of their faith is final disposition in a waterway.

To ensure rivers and remains are both handled properly, the measure lays out requirements a scattering would need to follow. The cremated remains must come from only one person, be spread over a large enough area to avoid the ashes accumulating, be scattered out of public areas including walkways, roads, trails, picnic areas, campgrounds and parking lots, and have no parts of the remains other than the cremated ashes scattered in the river.  

“Honoring a deceased loved one looks different for every family, but everyone wants to ensure their loved one is put to rest with the utmost care and reverence,” said Ellman. “By outlining transparent permissions for residents who must scatter their loved one’s remains in Illinois waterways, we are ensuring both their loved one and our natural resources are handled properly.”

Senate Bill 1793 passed the Senate Executive Committee on Thursday and awaits further action.