Public Act 095-0960
 
SB1864 Enrolled LRB095 13618 WGH 39322 b

    AN ACT concerning fatherhood.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
Council on Responsible Fatherhood Act of 2008.
 
    Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to promote
the recognition of the importance of the participation of both
parents in the lives of their children. While social policy and
practice have often focused on the difficulties of raising a
child in a single parent family and have often created barriers
to the involvement of both parents in their child's life, the
purpose of this Act is to promote a social policy and practice
that values the contribution that each parent brings to the
family unit.
 
    Section 10. Fatherhood initiative.
    (a) The purpose of this Act shall be implemented through a
fatherhood initiative located within the Department of Human
Services and directed by the Council on Responsible Fatherhood
created by this Act.
    (b) The goals of the fatherhood initiative are to increase
the awareness of the problems created when a child grows up
without the presence of a responsible father; to identify
obstacles that impede or prevent the involvement of responsible
fathers in the lives of their children; to identify strategies
that are successful in overcoming identified obstacles and in
encouraging responsible fatherhood; and to facilitate the
transition from current policies, perceptions, and practices
that adversely affect the participation of fathers in their
children's lives to policies, perceptions, and practices that
promote the contributions of responsible fathers. The
fatherhood initiative must promote positive interaction
between fathers and their children. While the emphasis of the
program must be on the population of children whose families
have received or are receiving public assistance, the program
may not exclude other populations of children for which the
program is appropriate.
    (c) The fatherhood initiative must include, but is not
limited to, the following:
        (1) The promotion of public education concerning the
    financial and emotional responsibilities of fatherhood.
        (2) The provision of assistance to men in preparing for
    the legal, financial, and emotional responsibilities of
    fatherhood.
        (3) The promotion of the establishment of paternity
    upon the birth of a child.
        (4) The encouragement of fathers in fostering an
    emotional connection to children and providing financial
    support to children.
        (5) The establishment of support mechanisms for
    fathers developing and maintaining relationships with
    their children.
        (6) The identification and promotion of methods that
    reduce the negative outcomes experienced by children
    affected by divorce, separation, and disputes concerning
    custody and visitation.
        (7) The integration of State and local services
    available to families.
 
    Section 15. Council on Responsible Fatherhood.
    (a) The Council on Responsible Fatherhood is created to
carry out the purposes, goals, and initiatives of this Act. The
Council consists of 21 members appointed by the Governor.
Members appointed by the Governor must be chosen on the basis
of their interest in and experience with children and families.
Members of the Council shall be appointed for 2-year terms,
except for an appointment to fill an unexpired term, in which
event the appointment shall be for the remainder of the
unexpired term. In addition, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, the President of the Senate, and the Minority
Leader of the Senate shall each appoint one ex officio,
non-voting member. The Council must choose one member of the
Council to be the Chairperson. A majority of the members
appointed by the Governor constitutes a quorum. Members shall
serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their
actual expenses in carrying out their duties as members of the
Council. The Council shall meet at least quarterly, and the
Chairperson and Department of Human Services may convene the
Council at any time. Subject to appropriation, the Department
of Human Services shall provide support to the Council.
    (b) The Council has the following duties:
        (1) To develop a comprehensive plan that promotes the
    positive involvement of fathers in their children's lives.
        (2) To evaluate State programs, government policies,
    and community initiatives related to fatherhood and to make
    recommendations regarding those programs, policies, and
    initiatives to the Governor and the General Assembly.
        (3) To convene a statewide symposium in order to
    discuss and resolve issues related to responsible
    fatherhood and the importance of the participation of both
    parents in their children's lives.
        (4) Subject to appropriation, to develop criteria for
    and to issue requests for proposals for grants for
    responsible fatherhood projects and activities related to
    responsible fatherhood projects that are approved by the
    Council.
        (5) To receive grants, contributions, and other funds
    for the purpose of projects and activities related to
    responsible fatherhood.
        (6) To submit a report, on or before January 1 of each
    year, to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning
    its findings and recommendations.
 
    Section 20. Responsible Fathers Fund. Grants,
contributions, and other funds received by the Council on
Responsible Fatherhood must be deposited into the Responsible
Fathers Fund, a special fund created in the State treasury,
and, subject to appropriation and as directed by the Department
of Human Services, may be expended for the purposes of this
Act. In addition, upon the creation of the Responsible Fathers
Fund, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State
Treasurer shall transfer any moneys remaining in the
Responsible Fatherhood Fund into the Responsible Fathers Fund.
Upon completion of the transfer, the Responsible Fatherhood
Fund shall be dissolved.
 
    Section 25. Repeal. This Act is repealed on July 1, 2010.
 
    Section 90. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.701 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 105/5.701 new)
    Sec. 5.701. The Responsible Fathers Fund.
 
    (30 ILCS 105/5.608 rep.)
    Section 95. The State Finance Act is amended by repealing
Section 5.608.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law, except that Section 95 takes effect 30 days after
becoming law.