State of Illinois
90th General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ House Amendment 001 ]

90_HB1080

      305 ILCS 5/4-8            from Ch. 23, par. 4-8
          Amends the AFDC Article of the Public Aid Code.  Provides
      that if a local public aid office has reason to believe  that
      a  caretaker  relative  is  experiencing substance abuse, the
      local  office  shall  require  that  person  to   submit   to
      appropriate  substance  abuse  testing.  Provides that if the
      test result is positive, the local office shall  require  the
      person  to  submit  to  appropriate treatment.  If the person
      refuses without good cause to submit to required  testing  or
      treatment and if there is no family member or close friend to
      serve  as  a  protective  payee, requires the local office to
      provide for a protective payment to a substitute payee.
                                                     LRB9000909RCks
                                               LRB9000909RCks
 1        AN ACT to amend the Illinois Public Aid Code by  changing
 2    Section 4-8.
 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:
 5        Section 5.  The Illinois Public Aid Code  is  amended  by
 6    changing Section 4-8 as follows:
 7        (305 ILCS 5/4-8) (from Ch. 23, par. 4-8)
 8        Sec. 4-8. Mismanagement of assistance grant.
 9        (a)  If  the County Department has reason to believe that
10    the money payment for basic maintenance is not being used, or
11    may not be used, in the best interests of the child  and  the
12    family  and  that there is present or potential damage to the
13    standards of health and well-being that the grant is intended
14    to assure, the County Department shall provide the parent  or
15    other relative with the counseling and guidance services with
16    respect  to  the use of the grant and the management of other
17    funds available to the family as may be  required  to  assure
18    use  of  the  grant  in  the  best interests of the child and
19    family. The  Illinois  Department  shall  by  rule  prescribe
20    criteria   which   shall   constitute   evidence   of   grant
21    mismanagement.  The criteria shall include but not be limited
22    to the following:
23             (1)  A determination that a child in the  assistance
24        unit  is  not  receiving  proper and necessary support or
25        other care for which assistance is being  provided  under
26        this Code.
27             (2)  A   record  establishing  that  the  parent  or
28        relative has been found guilty of public assistance fraud
29        under Article VIIIA.
30             (3)  A  determination  by  an  appropriate   person,
31        entity,  or  agency  that  the  parent  or other relative
                            -2-                LRB9000909RCks
 1        requires treatment for alcohol or substance abuse, mental
 2        health services, or other special care or treatment.
 3        The Department shall at  least  consider  non-payment  of
 4    rent   for  two  consecutive  months  as  evidence  of  grant
 5    mismanagement by a parent or relative of a recipient  who  is
 6    responsible  for  making  rental  payments for the housing or
 7    shelter  of  the  child  or  family,  unless  the  Department
 8    determines  that  the  non-payment  is  necessary   for   the
 9    protection of the health and well-being of the recipient. The
10    County  Department  shall advise the parent or other relative
11    grantee that  continued  mismanagement  will  result  in  the
12    application  of  one  of  the  sanctions  specified  in  this
13    Section.
14        The  Illinois  Department shall consider irregular school
15    attendance by children of  elementary  school  age  grades  1
16    through  6,  as  evidence  of  lack  of  proper and necessary
17    support or care.
18        The Illinois Department shall develop preventive programs
19    in collaboration with elementary school  and  social  service
20    networks to encourage school attendance of children receiving
21    assistance  under  Article  IV.   To the extent that Illinois
22    Department  and  community  resources  are   available,   the
23    programs  shall  serve  families  whose  children in grades 1
24    through 6 are not attending elementary school  regularly,  as
25    defined  by the school.  The programs shall include referrals
26    from the school to a social service network,  assessment  and
27    development  of  a  service  plan  by  one  or  more  network
28    representatives,  and the Illinois Department's encouragement
29    of the family  to  follow  through  with  the  service  plan.
30    Families  that  fail to follow the service plan as determined
31    by the service provider, shall be subject to  the  protective
32    payment  provisions  of  this Section and Section 4-9 of this
33    Code.
34        Families for whom a protective payment plan has  been  in
                            -3-                LRB9000909RCks
 1    effect  for  at  least  3  months and whose elementary school
 2    children continue to regularly miss school shall  be  subject
 3    to  a  sanction  of  the  parent's portion of the grant.  The
 4    sanction  shall  continue  until  the  children   demonstrate
 5    satisfactory  attendance,  as  defined by the school.  To the
 6    extent necessary to  implement  this  Section,  the  Illinois
 7    Department   shall   seek   appropriate  waivers  of  federal
 8    requirements from the U.S. Department  of  Health  and  Human
 9    Services.
10        The  Illinois  Department  may  implement  the amendatory
11    changes to this Section made by this amendatory Act  of  1995
12    through  the  use  of  emergency rules in accordance with the
13    provisions of Section 5-45  of  the  Illinois  Administrative
14    Procedure  Act.   For purposes of the Illinois Administrative
15    Procedure  Act,  the  adoption  of  rules  to  implement  the
16    amendatory changes to this Section made  by  this  amendatory
17    Act  of  1995  shall be deemed an emergency and necessary for
18    the public interest, safety, and welfare.
19        (b)  If the local office has reason  to  believe  that  a
20    caretaker relative is experiencing substance abuse, the local
21    office  shall  require  that  caretaker relative to submit to
22    appropriate substance abuse testing according to rules of the
23    Illinois Department.   If  the  testing  indicates  that  the
24    caretaker relative is experiencing substance abuse, the local
25    office  shall  require  the  caretaker  relative to submit to
26    appropriate substance abuse treatment according to  rules  of
27    the  Illinois  Department.  If the caretaker relative refuses
28    without good cause, as determined by rules  of  the  Illinois
29    Department,  to  submit to the required testing or treatment,
30    the local office shall take one  or  more  of  the  following
31    actions:
32             (i)  If there is another family member or friend who
33        is  ensuring  that the family's needs are being met, that
34        person, if  willing,  shall  be  assigned  as  protective
                            -4-                LRB9000909RCks
 1        payee.
 2             (ii)  If  there  is no family member or close friend
 3        to serve as protective  payee,  the  local  office  shall
 4        provide for a protective payment to a substitute payee as
 5        provided  in  Section  4-9.  The  Department  also  shall
 6        determine  whether  if  a  referral  to the Department of
 7        Children  and  Family  Services  is  warranted  and,   if
 8        appropriate, shall make the referral.
 9             (iii)  The  Department  shall contact the individual
10        who is thought to be  experiencing  substance  abuse  and
11        explain  why  the  protective payee has been assigned and
12        refer the individual to treatment.
13        (c)  This subsection (c)  applies  to  cases  other  than
14    those described in subsection (b).  If the efforts to correct
15    the  mismanagement  of  the  grant  have  failed,  the County
16    Department, in accordance with the rules and  regulations  of
17    the  Illinois  Department,  shall initiate one or more of the
18    following actions:
19             1.  Provide for a protective payment to a substitute
20        payee, as provided in Section 4-9.  This  action  may  be
21        initiated  for  any  assistance  unit  containing a child
22        determined to be neglected by the Department of  Children
23        and  Family Services under the Abused and Neglected Child
24        Reporting Act, and in any  case  involving  a  record  of
25        public assistance fraud.
26             2.  Provide for issuance of all or part of the grant
27        in  the  form  of  disbursing orders.  This action may be
28        initiated in  any  case  involving  a  record  of  public
29        assistance  fraud,  or  upon  the request of a substitute
30        payee designated under Section 4-9.
31             3.  File a petition under the Juvenile Court Act  of
32        1987  for  an  Order  of  Protection under Sections 2-25,
33        2-26, 3-26, and 3-27, 4-23, 4-24, 5-27, or 5-28  of  that
34        Act.
                            -5-                LRB9000909RCks
 1             4.  Institute  a proceeding under the Juvenile Court
 2        Act of 1987 for the appointment of a  guardian  or  legal
 3        representative  for the purpose of receiving and managing
 4        the public aid grant.
 5             5.  If the mismanagement of the grant, together with
 6        other factors, have rendered the home unsuitable for  the
 7        best  welfare of the child, file a neglect petition under
 8        the Juvenile Court Act of 1987, requesting the removal of
 9        the child or children.
10    (Source: P.A. 88-412; 89-6, eff. 3-6-95.)

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