State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Introduced ][ House Amendment 002 ]

90_HB0614eng

      305 ILCS 5/10-24 new
          Amends  the  Illinois  Public  Aid  Code.   Requires  the
      Department of Public Aid to establish, no later then  October
      1,   1998,  an  automated  directory  containing  identifying
      information, submitted by the employer, for each new employee
      hired in the State.  Provides that  the  directory  shall  be
      used   to   facilitate   the   enforcement,  collection,  and
      disbursement of child  support  payments.   States  that  the
      directory shall be known as the State Directory of New Hires.
      Provides  for  sharing  information with other State agencies
      for the purpose of collecting other debts owed to the State.
                                                    LRB9000328DJcdA
HB0614 Engrossed                              LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  Unemployment  Insurance  Act  by
 2    changing Sections 1300 and 1900 and adding Section 1801.1.
 3        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section  5.  The Unemployment Insurance Act is amended by
 6    changing Sections 1300 and 1900 and adding Section 1801.1  as
 7    follows:
 8        (820 ILCS 405/1300) (from Ch. 48, par. 540)
 9        Sec.  1300.   Waiver  or  transfer  of  benefit  rights -
10    Partial exemption.
11        (A)  Except as otherwise provided herein any agreement by
12    an individual to waive, release or commute his  rights  under
13    this Act shall be void.
14        (B)  Benefits  due  under this Act shall not be assigned,
15    pledged, encumbered, released or commuted and shall be exempt
16    from all claims of creditors and  from  levy,  execution  and
17    attachment  or  other  remedy for recovery or collection of a
18    debt.  However, nothing in  this  Section  shall  prohibit  a
19    specified  or  agreed  upon  deduction  from  benefits  by an
20    individual,  or  a  court   or   administrative   order   for
21    withholding  of income, for payment of past due child support
22    from being enforced and collected by the Department of Public
23    Aid on behalf of persons receiving a grant of  financial  aid
24    under Article IV of The Illinois Public Aid Code, persons for
25    whom  an  application  has been made and approved for support
26    services  under  Section  10-1  of  such  Code,  or   persons
27    similarly  situated  and  receiving  like support services in
28    other states.   It is provided that:
29             (1)  The aforementioned deduction  of  benefits  and
30        order for withholding of income apply only if appropriate
31        arrangements  have  been  made  for  reimbursement to the
HB0614 Engrossed            -2-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        Director  by  the  Department  of  Public  Aid  for   any
 2        administrative  costs incurred by the Director under this
 3        Section.
 4             (2)  The Director shall  deduct  and  withhold  from
 5        benefits payable under this Act, or under any arrangement
 6        for  the payment of benefits entered into by the Director
 7        pursuant to the powers granted under Section 2700 of this
 8        Act, the amount specified or agreed upon.  In the case of
 9        a court   or  administrative  order  for  withholding  of
10        income,  the  Director  shall  withhold the amount of the
11        order.
12             (3)  Any  amount  deducted  and  withheld   by   the
13        Director shall be paid to the Department of Public Aid on
14        behalf of the individual.
15             (4)  Any   amount   deducted   and   withheld  under
16        subsection (3) shall for all purposes be treated as if it
17        were paid to the individual as benefits and paid by  such
18        individual   to   the   Department   of   Public  Aid  in
19        satisfaction   of   the   individual's   child    support
20        obligations.
21             (5)  For  the purpose of this Section, child support
22        is defined as those obligations which are being  enforced
23        pursuant to a plan described in Title IV, Part D, Section
24        454  of  the  Social  Security  Act  and  approved by the
25        Secretary of Health and Human Services.
26             (6)  The  deduction  of  benefits  and   order   for
27        withholding of income for child support shall be governed
28        by  Titles  III and IV of the Social Security Act and all
29        regulations duly promulgated thereunder.
30        (C)  Nothing in this Section prohibits an individual from
31    voluntarily electing to have federal income tax deducted  and
32    withheld  from  his  or  her  unemployment  insurance benefit
33    payments.
34             (1)  The  Director  shall,  at  the  time  that   an
HB0614 Engrossed            -3-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        individual  files  his  or  her  claim  for benefits that
 2        establishes  his  or  her  benefit   year,   inform   the
 3        individual that:
 4                  (a)  unemployment   insurance   is  subject  to
 5             federal, State, and local income taxes;
 6                  (b)  requirements exist pertaining to estimated
 7             tax payments;
 8                  (c)  the individual may elect to  have  federal
 9             income  tax  deducted  and  withheld from his or her
10             payments of unemployment  insurance  in  the  amount
11             specified in the federal Internal Revenue Code; and
12                  (d)  the  individual  is  permitted to change a
13             previously elected withholding status no  more  than
14             once each calendar year.
15             (2)  Amounts deducted and withheld from unemployment
16        insurance  shall  remain  in  the unemployment fund until
17        transferred to the federal taxing authority as a  payment
18        of income tax.
19             (3)  The   Director   shall  follow  all  procedures
20        specified by the United States Department  of  Labor  and
21        the  federal  Internal  Revenue Service pertaining to the
22        deducting and withholding of income tax.
23             (4)  Amounts  shall  be  deducted  and  withheld  in
24        accordance  with  the  priorities  established  in  rules
25        promulgated by the Director.
26        (D)  Nothing in this Section prohibits an individual from
27    voluntarily electing to have State  of  Illinois  income  tax
28    deducted  and withheld from his or her unemployment insurance
29    benefit  payments  if  such  deduction  and  withholding   is
30    provided for pursuant to rules promulgated by the Director.
31             (1)  If   pursuant   to  rules  promulgated  by  the
32        Director, an individual may  voluntarily  elect  to  have
33        State  of  Illinois income tax deducted and withheld from
34        his or her unemployment insurance benefit  payments,  the
HB0614 Engrossed            -4-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        Director  shall, at the time that an individual files his
 2        or her claim for benefits that  establishes  his  or  her
 3        benefit   year,  in  addition  to  providing  the  notice
 4        required under subsection C, inform the individual that:
 5                  (a)  the individual may elect to have State  of
 6             Illinois  income  tax deducted and withheld from his
 7             or her payments of  unemployment  insurance  in  the
 8             amount  specified  pursuant  to rules promulgated by
 9             the Director; and
10                  (b)  the individual is permitted  to  change  a
11             previously  elected  withholding status no more than
12             once each calendar year.
13             (2)  Amounts deducted and withheld from unemployment
14        insurance shall remain in  the  unemployment  fund  until
15        transferred  to the Department of Revenue as a payment of
16        State of Illinois income tax.
17             (3)  Amounts  shall  be  deducted  and  withheld  in
18        accordance  with  the  priorities  established  in  rules
19        promulgated by the Director.
20        (E)  Nothing in this Section prohibits the deduction  and
21    withholding  of  an  uncollected  overissuance  of food stamp
22    coupons from unemployment insurance benefits pursuant to this
23    subsection (E).
24             (1)  At the time that an individual  files  a  claim
25        for  benefits  that  establishes his or her benefit year,
26        that individual must disclose whether or not  he  or  she
27        owes  an  uncollected overissuance (as defined in Section
28        13(c)(1) of the federal Food Stamp Act of 1977)  of  food
29        stamp  coupons.  The Director shall notify the State food
30        stamp agency enforcing such obligation of any  individual
31        who   discloses  that  he  or  she  owes  an  uncollected
32        overissuance of food stamp  coupons  and  who  meets  the
33        monetary  eligibility  requirements  of  subsection  E of
34        Section 500.
HB0614 Engrossed            -5-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1             (2)  The Director shall deduct and withhold from any
 2        unemployment insurance benefits payable to an  individual
 3        who  owes  an  uncollected  overissuance  of  food  stamp
 4        coupons:
 5                  (a)  the  amount specified by the individual to
 6             the Director to be deducted and withheld under  this
 7             subsection (E).
 8                  (b)  the amount (if any) determined pursuant to
 9             an  agreement  submitted  to  the  State  food stamp
10             agency under Section 13(c)(3)(A) of the federal Food
11             Stamp Act of 1977; or
12                  (c)  any  amount  otherwise  required   to   be
13             deducted  and  withheld  from unemployment insurance
14             benefits pursuant  to  Section  13(c)(3)(B)  of  the
15             federal Food Stamp Act of 1977.
16             (3)  Any  amount  deducted  and withheld pursuant to
17        this subsection (E) shall be paid by the Director to  the
18        State food stamp agency.
19             (4)  Any  amount  deducted  and withheld pursuant to
20        this subsection (E) shall for all purposes be treated  as
21        if  it  were  paid  to  the  individual  as  unemployment
22        insurance  benefits  and  paid  by  the individual to the
23        State food stamp agency as repayment of the  individual's
24        uncollected overissuance of food stamp coupons.
25             (5)  For    purposes   of   this   subsection   (E),
26        "unemployment insurance benefits" means any  compensation
27        payable  under  this Act including amounts payable by the
28        Director pursuant to an agreement under any  federal  law
29        providing  for  compensation,  assistance,  or allowances
30        with respect to unemployment.
31             (6)  This   subsection   (E)   applies    only    if
32        arrangements  have  been  made  for  reimbursement by the
33        State food stamp  agency  for  the  administrative  costs
34        incurred  by the Director under this subsection (E) which
HB0614 Engrossed            -6-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        are  attributable  to  the   repayment   of   uncollected
 2        overissuances  of  food  stamp  coupons to the State food
 3        stamp agency.
 4    (Source: P.A. 89-446, eff. 1-1-97.)
 5        (820 ILCS 405/1801.1 new)
 6        Sec. 1801.1.  Directory of New Hires.
 7        A.  The Director shall establish and operate an automated
 8    directory of newly hired employees which shall  be  known  as
 9    the "Illinois Directory of New Hires" which shall contain the
10    information  required  to  be  reported  by  employers to the
11    Department under subsection B.  In the administration of  the
12    Directory,  the  Director  shall comply with any requirements
13    concerning  the   Employer   New   Hire   Reporting   Program
14    established  by  the federal Personal Responsibility and Work
15    Opportunity Reconciliation Act  of  1996.   The  Director  is
16    authorized  to use the information contained in the Directory
17    of New Hires to administer any of the provisions of this Act.
18        B.  On and  after  October  1,  1997,  each  employer  in
19    Illinois,  except a department, agency, or instrumentality of
20    the United States, shall file with the Department a report in
21    accordance with rules adopted by the Department (but  in  any
22    event  not  later  than  20  days after the date the employer
23    hires  the  employee  or,  in,  the  case  of   an   employer
24    transmitting  reports  magnetically  or  electronically, by 2
25    monthly transmissions, if necessary, not less  than  12  days
26    nor   more  than  16  days  apart)  providing  the  following
27    information  concerning  each  newly  hired   employee:   the
28    employee's name, address, and social security number, and the
29    employer's  name,  address,  Federal  Employer Identification
30    Number assigned under Section 6109 of  the  Internal  Revenue
31    Code  of  1986, and such other information as may be required
32    by federal law or regulation, provided that each employer may
33    voluntarily file the date of new hire,  and  the  address  to
HB0614 Engrossed            -7-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1    which  the  employer  wants  income  withholding orders to be
 2    mailed, if it is different from  the  address  given  on  the
 3    Federal  Employer  Identification  Number.   An  employer  in
 4    Illinois   which  transmits  its  reports  electronically  or
 5    magnetically and which also has employees  in  another  state
 6    may  report  all newly hired employees to a single designated
 7    state in which the  employer  has  employees  if  it  has  so
 8    notified  the  Secretary  of  the United States Department of
 9    Health and Human Services in writing.  Each  report  required
10    under  this  subsection  shall be made on an Internal Revenue
11    Service Form W-4 or,  at  the  option  of  the  employer,  an
12    equivalent  form, and may be transmitted by first class mail,
13    magnetically, or electronically.
14        C.  An employer which knowingly fails to comply with  the
15    reporting  requirements  established by this Section shall be
16    subject to a civil penalty of $15 for each individual whom it
17    fails to report.  An employer shall  be  considered  to  have
18    knowingly  failed  to  comply with the reporting requirements
19    established by this Section with respect to an individual  if
20    the employer has been notified by the Department by certified
21    mail  that  it  has  failed  to  report an individual, and it
22    knowingly fails, without  reasonable  cause,  to  supply  the
23    required  information  to the Department within 21 days after
24    the date  of  mailing  of  the  notice.  Any  individual  who
25    knowingly  conspires  with  the newly hired employee to cause
26    the employer to fail to report the  information  required  by
27    this  Section or who knowingly conspires with the newly hired
28    employee to cause the employer to file a false or  incomplete
29    report  shall  be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor with a fine
30    not to exceed $500 with respect to each  employee  with  whom
31    the individual so conspires.
32        D.  As used in this Section, "newly hired employee" means
33    an  individual  who  is  an  employee  within  the meaning of
34    Chapter 24 of the Internal Revenue Code of  1986,  and  whose
HB0614 Engrossed            -8-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1    reporting to work which results in earnings from the employer
 2    is  the first instance within the preceding 180 days that the
 3    individual has reported for  work  for  which  earnings  were
 4    received  from that employer; however, "newly hired employee"
 5    does not include an employee of a  federal  or  State  agency
 6    performing  intelligence or counterintelligence functions, if
 7    the head of that agency has determined that the filing of the
 8    report required by this Section with respect to the  employee
 9    could  endanger  the  safety of the employee or compromise an
10    ongoing investigation or intelligence mission.
11        Notwithstanding Section 205, and for the purposes of this
12    Section only, the term "employer" has the  meaning  given  by
13    Section  3401(d)  of  the  Internal  Revenue Code of 1986 and
14    includes any governmental entity and  labor  organization  as
15    defined  by Section 2(5) of the National Labor Relations Act,
16    and includes any entity (also known as a hiring  hall)  which
17    is  used by the organization and an employer to carry out the
18    requirements described in Section 8(f)(3) of that Act  of  an
19    agreement between the organization and the employer.
20        (820 ILCS 405/1900) (from Ch. 48, par. 640)
21        Sec. 1900.  Disclosure of information.
22        A.  Except  as  provided  in  this  Section,  information
23    obtained  from  any  individual  or employing unit during the
24    administration of this Act shall:
25             1.  be confidential,
26             2.  not be published or open to public inspection,
27             3.  not be used in any court in any  pending  action
28        or proceeding,
29             4.  not  be  admissible in evidence in any action or
30        proceeding other than one arising out of this Act.
31        B.  No finding, determination, decision, ruling or  order
32    (including  any finding of fact, statement or conclusion made
33    therein) issued pursuant to this Act shall be  admissible  or
HB0614 Engrossed            -9-               LRB9000328DJcdA
 1    used  in evidence in any action other than one arising out of
 2    this Act, nor shall it be binding  or  conclusive  except  as
 3    provided  in  this Act, nor shall it constitute res judicata,
 4    regardless of whether the actions were between  the  same  or
 5    related parties or involved the same facts.
 6        C.  Any officer or employee of this State, any officer or
 7    employee  of  any  entity  authorized  to  obtain information
 8    pursuant to this Section, and any agent of this State  or  of
 9    such  entity who, except with authority of the Director under
10    this Section, shall disclose information shall be guilty of a
11    Class B misdemeanor and shall be  disqualified  from  holding
12    any appointment or employment by the State.
13        D.  An  individual  or  his  duly authorized agent may be
14    supplied with information from records  only  to  the  extent
15    necessary  for  the  proper  presentation  of  his  claim for
16    benefits or  with  his  existing  or  prospective  rights  to
17    benefits.   Discretion  to  disclose this information belongs
18    solely to the Director and is not subject  to  a  release  or
19    waiver by the individual.
20        E.  An  employing unit may be furnished with information,
21    only if deemed by the Director as necessary to enable  it  to
22    fully discharge its obligations or safeguard its rights under
23    the  Act.   Discretion  to  disclose this information belongs
24    solely to the Director and is not subject  to  a  release  or
25    waiver by the employing unit.
26        F.  The  Director may furnish any information that he may
27    deem proper to any public officer or public agency of this or
28    any other State or of the federal government dealing with:
29             1.  the administration of relief,
30             2.  public assistance,
31             3.  unemployment compensation,
32             4.  a system of public employment offices,
33             5.  wages and hours of employment, or
34             6.  a public works program.
HB0614 Engrossed            -10-              LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        The  Director  may  make  available   to   the   Illinois
 2    Industrial Commission information regarding employers for the
 3    purpose  of  verifying  the insurance coverage required under
 4    the  Workers'  Compensation  Act  and  Workers'  Occupational
 5    Diseases Act.
 6        G.  The Director may disclose  information  submitted  by
 7    the  State  or  any  of its political subdivisions, municipal
 8    corporations,  instrumentalities,  or  school  or   community
 9    college  districts, except for information which specifically
10    identifies an individual claimant.
11        H.  The Director shall  disclose  only  that  information
12    required  to  be  disclosed  under  Section 303 of the Social
13    Security Act, as amended, including:
14             1.  any information required to be given the  United
15        States Department of Labor under Section 303(a)(6); and
16             2.  the  making available upon request to any agency
17        of the United States charged with the  administration  of
18        public works or assistance through public employment, the
19        name,  address, ordinary occupation and employment status
20        of each recipient of  unemployment  compensation,  and  a
21        statement   of   such   recipient's   right   to  further
22        compensation  under  such  law  as  required  by  Section
23        303(a)(7); and
24             3.  records  to  make  available  to  the   Railroad
25        Retirement Board as required by Section 303(c)(1); and
26             4.  information    that   will   assure   reasonable
27        cooperation  with  every  agency  of  the  United  States
28        charged  with  the  administration  of  any  unemployment
29        compensation law as required by Section 303(c)(2); and
30             5.  information upon request and on  a  reimbursable
31        basis  to the United States Department of Agriculture and
32        to any State food stamp agency concerning any information
33        required to be furnished by Section 303(d); and
34             6.  any wage  information  upon  request  and  on  a
HB0614 Engrossed            -11-              LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        reimbursable  basis  to  any State or local child support
 2        enforcement agency required by Section 303(e); and
 3             7.  any  information  required  under   the   income
 4        eligibility   and  verification  system  as  required  by
 5        Section 303(f); and
 6             8.  information that might be useful in locating  an
 7        absent  parent  or  that  parent's employer, establishing
 8        paternity or establishing, modifying, or enforcing  child
 9        support  orders  for  the  purpose  of  a  child  support
10        enforcement program under Title IV of the Social Security
11        Act  upon  the  request of and on a reimbursable basis to
12        the  public  agency  administering  the  Federal   Parent
13        Locator Service as required by Section 303(h); and
14             9.  information, upon request, to representatives of
15        any  federal,  State or local governmental public housing
16        agency with respect to individuals who  have  signed  the
17        appropriate  consent  form  approved  by the Secretary of
18        Housing and Urban Development and who are applying for or
19        participating   in   any   housing   assistance   program
20        administered by the United States Department  of  Housing
21        and Urban Development as required by Section 303(i).
22        I.  The  Director, upon the request of a public agency of
23    Illinois, of the federal government or  of  any  other  state
24    charged with the investigation or enforcement of Section 10-5
25    of  the  Criminal  Code  of 1961 (or a similar federal law or
26    similar law of another State), may furnish the public  agency
27    information regarding the individual specified in the request
28    as to:
29             1.  the  current  or most recent home address of the
30        individual, and
31             2.  the names  and  addresses  of  the  individual's
32        employers.
33        J.  Nothing  in this Section shall be deemed to interfere
34    with the disclosure of certain records  as  provided  for  in
HB0614 Engrossed            -12-              LRB9000328DJcdA
 1    Section  1706  or  with  the  right  to make available to the
 2    Internal Revenue Service of the United States  Department  of
 3    the  Treasury,  or  the Department of Revenue of the State of
 4    Illinois, information obtained under this Act.
 5        K.  The Department shall  make  available  to  the  State
 6    Scholarship Commission, upon request that it may be necessary
 7    or useful to the Commission in the collection of defaulted or
 8    delinquent  student  loans  which the Commission administers,
 9    information  limited  to  the  names  and  addresses   of   a
10    borrower's employers.
11        L.  The  Department  shall  make  available  to the State
12    Employees'  Retirement   System,   the   State   Universities
13    Retirement System, and the Teachers' Retirement System of the
14    State   of   Illinois,   upon  request,  information  in  the
15    possession of the Department that may be necessary or  useful
16    to  the  System  for  the  purpose of determining whether any
17    recipient  of  a  disability  benefit  from  the  System   is
18    gainfully employed.
19        M.  This  Section  shall be applicable to the information
20    obtained  in  the  administration  of  the  State  employment
21    service, except that the  Director  may  publish  or  release
22    general  labor market information and may furnish information
23    that he may deem proper to an individual, public  officer  or
24    public  agency  of  this  or  any  other State or the federal
25    government (in addition to those public  officers  or  public
26    agencies specified in this Section) as he prescribes by Rule.
27        N.  The  Director may require such safeguards as he deems
28    proper to insure that information disclosed pursuant to  this
29    Section  is  used  only  for  the  purposes set forth in this
30    Section.
31        O.  (Blank).
32        P.  Within 30 days  after  the  effective  date  of  this
33    amendatory   Act   of   1993  and  annually  thereafter,  the
34    Department shall  provide  to  the  Department  of  Financial
HB0614 Engrossed            -13-              LRB9000328DJcdA
 1    Institutions  a list of individuals or entities that, for the
 2    most  recently  completed  calendar  year,  report   to   the
 3    Department  as  paying  wages to workers.  The lists shall be
 4    deemed confidential and may not be  disclosed  to  any  other
 5    person.
 6        Q.  The  Director  shall  make  available  to  an elected
 7    federal official the name and address  of  an  individual  or
 8    entity that is located within the jurisdiction from which the
 9    official   was  elected  and  that,  for  the  most  recently
10    completed calendar year, has reported to  the  Department  as
11    paying  wages  to workers, where the information will be used
12    in connection with the official duties of  the  official  and
13    the  official requests the information in writing, specifying
14    the purposes for which it will be used. For purposes of  this
15    subsection,  the  use  of  information in connection with the
16    official duties of an official does not include  use  of  the
17    information   in   connection   with   the   solicitation  of
18    contributions or expenditures, in money or in kind, to or  on
19    behalf  of  a  candidate  for public or political office or a
20    political party or with respect  to  a  public  question,  as
21    defined in Section 1-3 of the Election Code, or in connection
22    with   any  commercial  solicitation.   Any  elected  federal
23    official who, in submitting a request for information covered
24    by this subsection, knowingly  makes  a  false  statement  or
25    fails  to disclose a material fact, with the intent to obtain
26    the  information  for  a  purpose  not  authorized  by   this
27    subsection, shall be guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
28        R.  The  Director may provide to any State or local child
29    support agency, upon request and  on  a  reimbursable  basis,
30    information that might be useful in locating an absent parent
31    or   that   parent's  employer,  establishing  paternity,  or
32    establishing, modifying, or enforcing child support orders.
33    (Source: P.A.  88-435;  89-446,  eff.  2-8-96;  89-493,  eff.
34    1-1-97.)
HB0614 Engrossed            -14-              LRB9000328DJcdA
 1        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 2    becoming law.

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