Relating to primary prevention of substance use.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Tom Andersen and 7 co-sponsors

First responders killed in the line of duty must receive an honorable funeral honoring the family’s wishes, with elected officials’ attendance limited by family consent.

Chapter 507, (2025 Laws): Effective date January 1, 2026.

Summary — HB 3321 (Honorable Funerals for First Responders Act)

Short title: Honorable Funerals for First Responders Act
Bill number: HB 3321 (104th General Assembly) — New Act
Sponsor: Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar (with co-sponsors Rep. Laura Faver Dias, Rep. Brandun Schweizer, Rep. Michael J. Kelly)
Chapter/Status: Chapter 507, (2025 Laws). Governor signed June 27, 2025. Effective January 1, 2026.
Note: The document text establishes the funeral-related Act; the bill metadata header lists an unrelated title (“Relating to primary prevention of substance use”), but the enacted text creates the Honorable Funerals for First Responders Act.

Key provisions

Creates the Honorable Funerals for First Responders Act and states, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a first responder killed in the line of duty shall receive an honorable funeral.”

Defines “honorable funeral” as one that respects the wishes of the deceased first responder and the deceased’s family and includes religious observances desired by them.

Defines “first responder” by reference to existing Illinois law: law enforcement officers (Line of Duty Compensation Act), firemen (Line of Duty Compensation Act), and emergency medical service personnel (EMS Systems Act).

Establishes rules for elected officials:

An elected official may not attend a first responder’s funeral if the official knows or has reason to know the family does not wish their attendance.
No elected official is required to attend such funerals.
The family has sole discretion to decide which elected officials may attend.
Before attending, an elected official must make reasonable efforts to determine whether the family wants them to attend.

The Act gives these provisions precedence over other law (explicit “notwithstanding” language).

Who is affected

First responders killed in the line of duty (as defined by referenced Illinois statutes) and their families — the Act governs funeral respect and procedure.

Elected officials at state and local levels — the Act restricts and instructs their attendance behavior at such funerals.

Agencies, offices, and personnel responsible for coordinating funerals or official representation may need to adopt practices to ensure family wishes are respected and to document “reasonable efforts” by elected officials.

Implementation, enforcement, and gaps

The Act mandates deference to family wishes and obligates “reasonable efforts” by elected officials but does not specify enforcement mechanisms, penalties, or detailed procedures for how reasonable efforts must be documented.

No funding provisions or administrative structures are created by the Act.

Legislative history (selected)

Introduced Feb 18, 2025; public hearing March 13, 2025; work sessions and committee actions through June 2025.

Passed both chambers in June 2025; Governor signed June 27, 2025.

Effective date: January 1, 2026 (Chapter 507, 2025 Laws).

This Act formalizes family control over ceremonial involvement of elected officials at funerals for line-of-duty first responder deaths and requires respectful observance aligned with the deceased’s and family’s wishes.

Bill