'Mychal Moultry Jr. Act' would quickly provide families of murdered children money to pay for funerals
CHICAGO - A state senator from Chicago is introducing a bill that would allow the state of Illinois to promptly pay for funeral services for murdered children.
The bill is called the "Mychal Moultry Jr. Funeral and Burial Assistance Act." Mychal, 4, was murdered in Chicago in September. He was hit by stray bullets that went through a window in a house in Woodlawn.
The bill's state senate sponsor, Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16th), said in a press release that 45 children under the age of 17 were murdered in Chicago in 2021.
The bill would offer up to $10,000 in assistance for families of murdered children whose incomes are 150% or less than the federal poverty level, which was $40,000 for a family of four last year.
The average cost of a funeral and burial is $9,420, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors.
The state of Illinois already reimburses families of murder victims for funeral expenses, but the legislation's sponsors said that process can take months. This bill would provide a prompt payment directly to the people providing the funeral services.