97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
SB1827

 

Introduced 2/9/2011, by Sen. Dan Kotowski

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
305 ILCS 5/10-1  from Ch. 23, par. 10-1
305 ILCS 5/10-15.1 new
305 ILCS 5/10-16.5
735 ILCS 5/12-109  from Ch. 110, par. 12-109

    Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Adds provisions concerning the judicial registration of administrative support orders. Provides that notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall have no further duty or authority to enforce and collect interest accrued on support obligations established under the Code or under any other law, including any interest on support accrued and deemed to have been assigned to the State under previous law. Amends the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that interest on child support obligations may be collected by any means available under State law for the collection of child support judgments (rather than by any means available under federal and State laws, rules, and regulations providing for the collection of child support). Effective immediately.


LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB1827LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1    AN ACT concerning child support.
 
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 Sections 10-1 and 10-16.5 and by adding Section
610-15.1 as follows:
 
7    (305 ILCS 5/10-1)  (from Ch. 23, par. 10-1)
8    Sec. 10-1. Declaration of Public Policy - Persons Eligible
9for Child Support Enforcement Services - Fees for
10Non-Applicants and Non-Recipients.) It is the intent of this
11Code that the financial aid and social welfare services herein
12provided supplement rather than supplant the primary and
13continuing obligation of the family unit for self-support to
14the fullest extent permitted by the resources available to it.
15This primary and continuing obligation applies whether the
16family unit of parents and children or of husband and wife
17remains intact and resides in a common household or whether the
18unit has been broken by absence of one or more members of the
19unit. The obligation of the family unit is particularly
20applicable when a member is in necessitous circumstances and
21lacks the means of a livelihood compatible with health and
22well-being.
23    It is the purpose of this Article to provide for locating

 

 

SB1827- 2 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1an absent parent or spouse, for determining his financial
2circumstances, and for enforcing his legal obligation of
3support, if he is able to furnish support, in whole or in part.
4The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall give
5priority to establishing, enforcing and collecting the current
6support obligation, and then to past due support owed to the
7family unit, except with respect to collections effected
8through the intercept programs provided for in this Article.
9    The child support enforcement services provided hereunder
10shall be furnished dependents of an absent parent or spouse who
11are applicants for or recipients of financial aid under this
12Code. It is not, however, a condition of eligibility for
13financial aid that there be no responsible relatives who are
14reasonably able to provide support. Nor, except as provided in
15Sections 4-1.7 and 10-8, shall the existence of such relatives
16or their payment of support contributions disqualify a needy
17person for financial aid.
18    By accepting financial aid under this Code, a spouse or a
19parent or other person having custody of a child shall be
20deemed to have made assignment to the Illinois Department for
21aid under Articles III, IV, V and VII or to a local
22governmental unit for aid under Article VI of any and all
23rights, title, and interest in any support obligation,
24excluding including statutory interest thereon, up to the
25amount of financial aid provided. The rights to support
26assigned to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services

 

 

SB1827- 3 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1(formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid) or local
2governmental unit shall constitute an obligation owed the State
3or local governmental unit by the person who is responsible for
4providing the support, and shall be collectible under all
5applicable processes.
6    The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall also
7furnish the child support enforcement services established
8under this Article in behalf of persons who are not applicants
9for or recipients of financial aid under this Code in
10accordance with the requirements of Title IV, Part D of the
11Social Security Act. The Department may establish a schedule of
12reasonable fees, to be paid for the services provided and may
13deduct a collection fee, not to exceed 10% of the amount
14collected, from such collection. The Department of Healthcare
15and Family Services shall cause to be published and distributed
16publications reasonably calculated to inform the public that
17individuals who are not recipients of or applicants for public
18aid under this Code are eligible for the child support
19enforcement services under this Article X. Such publications
20shall set forth an explanation, in plain language, that the
21child support enforcement services program is independent of
22any public aid program under the Code and that the receiving of
23child support enforcement services in no way implies that the
24person receiving such services is receiving public aid.
25(Source: P.A. 94-90, eff. 1-1-06; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
 

 

 

SB1827- 4 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1    (305 ILCS 5/10-15.1 new)
2    Sec. 10-15.1. Judicial registration of administrative
3support orders.
4    (a) An administrative support order established by the
5Illinois Department under this Article X may be registered in
6the appropriate circuit court of this State by the Department
7or by a party to the order by filing:
8        (1) Two copies, including one certified copy of the
9    order to be registered, and any modification of the
10    administrative support order.
11        (2) A sworn statement by the person requesting
12    registration or a certified copy of the Department payment
13    record showing the amount of any past due support accrued
14    under the administrative support order.
15        (3) The name of the obligor and, if known, the
16    obligor's address and social security number.
17        (4) The name of the obligee and the obligee's address,
18    unless the obligee alleges in an affidavit or pleading
19    under oath that the health, safety, or liberty of the
20    obligee or child would be jeopardized by disclosure of
21    specific identifying information, in which case that
22    information must be sealed and may not be disclosed to the
23    other party or public. After a hearing in which the court
24    takes into consideration the health, safety, or liberty of
25    the party or child, the court may order disclosure of
26    information that the court determines to be in the interest

 

 

SB1827- 5 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1    of justice.
2    (b) The filing of an administrative support order under
3subsection (a) constitutes registration with the circuit
4court.
5    (c) On receipt of a request for registration the circuit
6court shall cause the administrative support order to be filed
7in the court's registry of administrative support orders.
8    (d) A petition or comparable pleading seeking a remedy that
9must be affirmatively sought under other law of this State may
10be filed at the same time as the request for registration or
11later. The pleading must specify the grounds for the remedy
12sought.
13    (e) When an administrative support order is registered, the
14court shall notify the nonregistering party and the Illinois
15Department, unless the Department is requesting registration
16of its order. The notice must be accompanied by a copy of the
17registered administrative support order and the documents and
18relevant information accompanying the order.
19    (f) A notice of registration of an administrative support
20order must provide the following information:
21        (1) That a registered administrative order is
22    enforceable in the same manner as an order for support
23    issued by the circuit court.
24        (2) That a hearing to contest the validity or
25    enforcement of the registered administrative support order
26    must be requested within 20 days after the date of mailing

 

 

SB1827- 6 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1    or personal service of the notice.
2        (3) That failure to contest, in a timely manner, the
3    validity or enforcement of the registered administrative
4    support order shall result in confirmation of the order and
5    enforcement of the order and the alleged arrearages and
6    precludes further contest of that order with respect to any
7    matter that could have been asserted.
8        (4) The amount of any alleged arrearages.
9    (g) A nonregistering party seeking to contest the validity
10or enforcement of a registered administrative support order
11shall request a hearing within 20 days after the date of
12mailing or personal service of notice of the registration. The
13nonregistering party may seek to vacate the registration, to
14assert any defense to an allegation of noncompliance with the
15registered administrative support order, or to contest the
16remedies being sought or the amount of any alleged arrearages.
17    (h) If the nonregistering party fails to contest the
18validity or enforcement of the registered administrative
19support order in a timely manner, the order shall be confirmed
20by operation of law.
21    (i) If a nonregistering party requests a hearing to contest
22the validity or enforcement of the registered administrative
23support order, the circuit court shall schedule the matter for
24hearing and give notice to the parties and the Illinois
25Department of the date, time, and place of the hearing.
26    (j) A party contesting the validity or enforcement of a

 

 

SB1827- 7 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1registered administrative support order or seeking to vacate
2the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the
3following defenses:
4        (1) The Illinois Department lacked personal
5    jurisdiction over the contesting party.
6        (2) The administrative support order was obtained by
7    fraud.
8        (3) The administrative support order has been vacated,
9    suspended, or modified by a later order.
10        (4) The Illinois Department has stayed the
11    administrative support order pending appeal.
12        (5) There is a defense under the law to the remedy
13    sought.
14        (6) Full or partial payment has been made.
15    (k) If a party presents evidence establishing a full or
16partial payment defense under subsection (j), the court may
17stay enforcement of the registered order, continue the
18proceeding to permit production of additional relevant
19evidence, and issue other appropriate orders. An uncontested
20portion of the registered administrative support order may be
21enforced by all remedies available under State law.
22    (l) If a contesting party does not establish a defense
23under subsection (j) to the validity or enforcement of the
24administrative support order, the court shall issue an order
25confirming the administrative support order. Confirmation of
26the registered administrative support order, whether by

 

 

SB1827- 8 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1operation of law or after notice and hearing, precludes further
2contest of the order with respect to any matter that could have
3been asserted at the time of registration. Upon confirmation,
4the registered administrative support order shall be treated in
5the same manner as a support order entered by the circuit
6court.
 
7    (305 ILCS 5/10-16.5)
8    Sec. 10-16.5. Interest on support obligations. A support
9obligation, or any portion of a support obligation, which
10becomes due and remains unpaid as of the end of each month,
11excluding the child support that was due for that month to the
12extent that it was not paid in that month, shall accrue simple
13interest as set forth in Section 12-109 of the Code of Civil
14Procedure. An order for support entered or modified on or after
15January 1, 2006 shall contain a statement that a support
16obligation required under the order, or any portion of a
17support obligation required under the order, that becomes due
18and remains unpaid as of the end of each month, excluding the
19child support that was due for that month to the extent that it
20was not paid in that month, shall accrue simple interest as set
21forth in Section 12-109 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Failure
22to include the statement in the order for support does not
23affect the validity of the order or the accrual of interest as
24provided in this Section.
25    Beginning with the effective date of this amendatory Act of

 

 

SB1827- 9 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1the 97th General Assembly, and notwithstanding any other law to
2the contrary, the Illinois Department shall have no further
3duty or authority to enforce and collect interest accrued on
4support obligations established under this Code or under any
5other law, including any interest on support accrued and deemed
6to have been assigned to the State under previous law.
7(Source: P.A. 94-90, eff. 1-1-06.)
 
8    Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by
9changing Section 12-109 as follows:
 
10    (735 ILCS 5/12-109)  (from Ch. 110, par. 12-109)
11    Sec. 12-109. Interest on judgments.
12    (a) Every judgment except those arising by operation of law
13from child support orders shall bear interest thereon as
14provided in Section 2-1303.
15    (b) Every judgment arising by operation of law from a child
16support order shall bear interest as provided in this
17subsection. The interest on judgments arising by operation of
18law from child support orders shall be calculated by applying
19one-twelfth of the current statutory interest rate as provided
20in Section 2-1303 to the unpaid child support balance as of the
21end of each calendar month. The unpaid child support balance at
22the end of the month is the total amount of child support
23ordered, excluding the child support that was due for that
24month to the extent that it was not paid in that month and

 

 

SB1827- 10 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1including judgments for retroactive child support, less all
2payments received and applied as set forth in this subsection.
3The accrued interest shall not be included in the unpaid child
4support balance when calculating interest at the end of the
5month. The unpaid child support balance as of the end of each
6month shall be determined by calculating the current monthly
7child support obligation and applying all payments received for
8that month, except federal income tax refund intercepts, first
9to the current monthly child support obligation and then
10applying any payments in excess of the current monthly child
11support obligation to the unpaid child support balance owed
12from previous months. The current monthly child support
13obligation shall be determined from the document that
14established the support obligation. Federal income tax refund
15intercepts and any payments in excess of the current monthly
16child support obligation shall be applied to the unpaid child
17support balance. Any payments in excess of the current monthly
18child support obligation and the unpaid child support balance
19shall be applied to the accrued interest on the unpaid child
20support balance. Interest on child support obligations may be
21collected by any means available under State law for the
22collection of child support judgments federal and State laws,
23rules, and regulations providing for the collection of child
24support.
25(Source: P.A. 94-90, eff. 1-1-06.)
 
26    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon

 

 

SB1827- 11 -LRB097 05092 KTG 45134 b

1becoming law.