97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5705

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
305 ILCS 5/10-3.1  from Ch. 23, par. 10-3.1
730 ILCS 5/3-6-9 new

    Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Provides that the programs of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services concerning child support orders shall include cases in which a responsible relative who is in Department of Corrections custody requests modification of the support order. Provides that the Department shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Department of Corrections to facilitate these requests. Amends the Unified Code of Corrections. Provides that the Department of Corrections shall establish a program to assist committed persons who are obligors under child support orders in cases in which child support enforcement services are provided by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. Provides that the Department shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to facilitate these requests.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning public aid.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
5changing Section 10-3.1 as follows:
 
6    (305 ILCS 5/10-3.1)  (from Ch. 23, par. 10-3.1)
7    Sec. 10-3.1. Child and Spouse Support Unit. The Illinois
8Department shall establish within its administrative staff a
9Child and Spouse Support Unit to search for and locate absent
10parents and spouses liable for the support of persons resident
11in this State and to exercise the support enforcement powers
12and responsibilities assigned the Department by this Article.
13The unit shall cooperate with all law enforcement officials in
14this State and with the authorities of other States in locating
15persons responsible for the support of persons resident in
16other States and shall invite the cooperation of these
17authorities in the performance of its duties.
18    In addition to other duties assigned the Child and Spouse
19Support Unit by this Article, the Unit may refer to the
20Attorney General or units of local government with the approval
21of the Attorney General, any actions under Sections 10-10 and
2210-15 for judicial enforcement of the support liability. The
23Child and Spouse Support Unit shall act for the Department in

 

 

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1referring to the Attorney General support matters requiring
2judicial enforcement under other laws. If requested by the
3Attorney General to so act, as provided in Section 12-16,
4attorneys of the Unit may assist the Attorney General or
5themselves institute actions in behalf of the Illinois
6Department under the Revised Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of
7Support Act; under the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984; under
8the Non-Support of Spouse and Children Act; under the
9Non-Support Punishment Act; or under any other law, State or
10Federal, providing for support of a spouse or dependent child.
11    The Illinois Department shall also have the authority to
12enter into agreements with local governmental units or
13individuals, with the approval of the Attorney General, for the
14collection of moneys owing because of the failure of a parent
15to make child support payments for any child receiving services
16under this Article. Such agreements may be on a contingent fee
17basis, but such contingent fee shall not exceed 25% of the
18total amount collected.
19    An attorney who provides representation pursuant to this
20Section shall represent the Illinois Department exclusively.
21Regardless of the designation of the plaintiff in an action
22brought pursuant to this Section, an attorney-client
23relationship does not exist for purposes of that action between
24that attorney and (i) an applicant for or recipient of child
25support enforcement services or (ii) any other party to the
26action other than the Illinois Department. Nothing in this

 

 

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1Section shall be construed to modify any power or duty
2(including a duty to maintain confidentiality) of the Child and
3Spouse Support Unit or the Illinois Department otherwise
4provided by law.
5    The Illinois Department may also enter into agreements with
6local governmental units for the Child and Spouse Support Unit
7to exercise the investigative and enforcement powers
8designated in this Article, including the issuance of
9administrative orders under Section 10-11, in locating
10responsible relatives and obtaining support for persons
11applying for or receiving aid under Article VI. Payments for
12defrayment of administrative costs and support payments
13obtained shall be deposited into the DHS Recoveries Trust Fund.
14Support payments shall be paid over to the General Assistance
15Fund of the local governmental unit at such time or times as
16the agreement may specify.
17    With respect to those cases in which it has support
18enforcement powers and responsibilities under this Article,
19the Illinois Department may provide by rule for periodic or
20other review of each administrative and court order for support
21to determine whether a modification of the order should be
22sought. The Illinois Department shall provide for and conduct
23such review in accordance with any applicable federal law and
24regulation. The Illinois Department's program for review and
25modification of orders for support in cases in which support
26enforcement services are being provided under this Article X

 

 

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1shall include, but not be limited to, cases in which a
2responsible relative who is committed to the custody of the
3Department of Corrections requests review and modification of
4the order for support. The Illinois Department shall enter into
5a cooperative agreement with the Department of Corrections to
6facilitate receipt of such requests from committed persons.
7    As part of its process for review of orders for support,
8the Illinois Department, through written notice, may require
9the responsible relative to disclose his or her Social Security
10Number and past and present information concerning the
11relative's address, employment, gross wages, deductions from
12gross wages, net wages, bonuses, commissions, number of
13dependent exemptions claimed, individual and dependent health
14insurance coverage, and any other information necessary to
15determine the relative's ability to provide support in a case
16receiving child support enforcement services under this
17Article X.
18    The Illinois Department may send a written request for the
19same information to the relative's employer. The employer shall
20respond to the request for information within 15 days after the
21date the employer receives the request. If the employer
22willfully fails to fully respond within the 15-day period, the
23employer shall pay a penalty of $100 for each day that the
24response is not provided to the Illinois Department after the
2515-day period has expired. The penalty may be collected in a
26civil action which may be brought against the employer in favor

 

 

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1of the Illinois Department.
2    A written request for information sent to an employer
3pursuant to this Section shall consist of (i) a citation of
4this Section as the statutory authority for the request and for
5the employer's obligation to provide the requested
6information, (ii) a returnable form setting forth the
7employer's name and address and listing the name of the
8employee with respect to whom information is requested, and
9(iii) a citation of this Section as the statutory authority
10authorizing the employer to withhold a fee of up to $20 from
11the wages or income to be paid to each responsible relative for
12providing the information to the Illinois Department within the
1315-day period. If the employer is withholding support payments
14from the responsible relative's income pursuant to an order for
15withholding, the employer may withhold the fee provided for in
16this Section only after withholding support as required under
17the order. Any amounts withheld from the responsible relative's
18income for payment of support and the fee provided for in this
19Section shall not be in excess of the amounts permitted under
20the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act.
21    In a case receiving child support enforcement services, the
22Illinois Department may request and obtain information from a
23particular employer under this Section no more than once in any
2412-month period, unless the information is necessary to conduct
25a review of a court or administrative order for support at the
26request of the person receiving child support enforcement

 

 

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1services.
2    The Illinois Department shall establish and maintain an
3administrative unit to receive and transmit to the Child and
4Spouse Support Unit information supplied by persons applying
5for or receiving child support enforcement services under
6Section 10-1. In addition, the Illinois Department shall
7address and respond to any alleged deficiencies that persons
8receiving or applying for services from the Child and Spouse
9Support Unit may identify concerning the Child and Spouse
10Support Unit's provision of child support enforcement
11services. Within 60 days after an action or failure to act by
12the Child and Spouse Support Unit that affects his or her case,
13a recipient of or applicant for child support enforcement
14services under Article X of this Code may request an
15explanation of the Unit's handling of the case. At the
16requestor's option, the explanation may be provided either
17orally in an interview, in writing, or both. If the Illinois
18Department fails to respond to the request for an explanation
19or fails to respond in a manner satisfactory to the applicant
20or recipient within 30 days from the date of the request for an
21explanation, the applicant or recipient may request a
22conference for further review of the matter by the Office of
23the Administrator of the Child and Spouse Support Unit. A
24request for a conference may be submitted at any time within 60
25days after the explanation has been provided by the Child and
26Spouse Support Unit or within 60 days after the time for

 

 

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1providing the explanation has expired.
2    The applicant or recipient may request a conference
3concerning any decision denying or terminating child support
4enforcement services under Article X of this Code, and the
5applicant or recipient may also request a conference concerning
6the Unit's failure to provide services or the provision of
7services in an amount or manner that is considered inadequate.
8For purposes of this Section, the Child and Spouse Support Unit
9includes all local governmental units or individuals with whom
10the Illinois Department has contracted under Section 10-3.1.
11    Upon receipt of a timely request for a conference, the
12Office of the Administrator shall review the case. The
13applicant or recipient requesting the conference shall be
14entitled, at his or her option, to appear in person or to
15participate in the conference by telephone. The applicant or
16recipient requesting the conference shall be entitled to be
17represented and to be afforded a reasonable opportunity to
18review the Illinois Department's file before or at the
19conference. At the conference, the applicant or recipient
20requesting the conference shall be afforded an opportunity to
21present all relevant matters in support of his or her claim.
22Conferences shall be without cost to the applicant or recipient
23requesting the conference and shall be conducted by a
24representative of the Child or Spouse Support Unit who did not
25participate in the action or inaction being reviewed.
26    The Office of the Administrator shall conduct a conference

 

 

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1and inform all interested parties, in writing, of the results
2of the conference within 60 days from the date of filing of the
3request for a conference.
4    In addition to its other powers and responsibilities
5established by this Article, the Child and Spouse Support Unit
6shall conduct an annual assessment of each institution's
7program for institution based paternity establishment under
8Section 12 of the Vital Records Act.
9(Source: P.A. 91-24, eff. 7-1-99; 91-613, eff. 10-1-99; 92-16,
10eff. 6-28-01; 92-590, eff. 7-1-02.)
 
11    Section 10. The Unified Code of Corrections is amended by
12adding Section 3-6-9 as follows:
 
13    (730 ILCS 5/3-6-9 new)
14    Sec. 3-6-9. Assistance in requesting review and
15modification of support orders. The Department shall develop
16and establish a program to assist committed persons who are
17obligors under support orders in cases in which child support
18enforcement services are being provided by the Department of
19Healthcare and Family Services under Article X of the Illinois
20Public Aid Code in requesting review and modification of such
21support orders as provided for under that Code. The Department
22shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the Department of
23Healthcare and Family Services to facilitate transmittal of
24such requests from committed persons.