HB2791enr 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB2791 Enrolled LRB099 05640 JWD 25680 b

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois is amended by adding Section 2205-25 as follows:

(20 ILCS 2205/2205-25 new)

Sec. 2205-25. Barriers to paying child support; study.

(a) Subject to appropriation, the Division of Child Support Services of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall conduct a study regarding the barriers individuals face to paying child support. The purpose of the study shall be to identify and minimize barriers to paying child support so as to decrease the total amount of unpaid child support in Illinois. The study shall focus on the following:

(1) demographics of those who fail to pay child support, including: income, education level, age at first becoming a parent, ratio of monthly child support to monthly income, criminal history, child visits per month, number of children, substance abuse history, whether the individual is on probation or parole, and primary language spoken;

(2) institutional barriers to paying child support, including how and when it is collected;

(3) the impact, if any, that unpaid child support information has on an individual's ability to be considered, interviewed, and hired by an employer, including: (i) whether credit and background checks reveal unpaid child support obligations, including, but not limited to, amounts in arrears, civil judgments, and criminal convictions for failure to pay child support, and (ii) whether the information revealed in a credit or background check regarding unpaid child support prevents applicants from gaining employment.

(b) The Department shall report the results of the study and any recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before May 1, 2017.

(c) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2018.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2015.