(305 ILCS 5/11-3.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 11-3.1)
Sec. 11-3.1. Any recipient of financial aid which is payable to the
recipient at regular intervals may elect to have the aid deposited, and the
Illinois Department of Human Services is authorized to deposit the aid,
directly in the
recipient's savings account or checking account or in any electronic
benefits transfer account or accounts in a financial institution approved
by the Illinois Department of Human Services and in accordance with the rules
and regulations
of the Department of Human Services. The Illinois Department of Human Services
and any electronic benefits
transfer financial institutions or contractor shall encourage financial
institutions to provide checking account and savings account services to
recipients of public aid.
Any recipient of financial aid or benefits distributed by means other
than electronic benefits transfer under Articles III, IV, and VI of this
Code may elect to receive the aid by means of direct deposit transmittals
to his or her account maintained at a bank, savings and loan association,
or credit union or by means of electronic benefits transfer in a financial
institution approved by the Illinois Department of Human Services and in accordance with
rules and regulations of the Illinois Department of Human Services. The Illinois Department of Human Services
may distribute financial aid or food stamp benefits by means of electronic
benefits transfer and may require recipients to receive financial aid or
food stamp benefits by means of electronic benefits transfer, provided that
any electronic benefits transfer made under this Section shall be
accomplished in compliance with the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and any relevant rules promulgated thereunder. The Illinois
Department of Human Services may provide for a method of compensation for services in
accordance with the rules and regulations of the Illinois Department of Human Services, the
United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of
Health and Human Services, and the State Comptroller and the State
Treasurer. The Illinois Department of Human Services shall require a
convenient density of
distribution points for recipients of public aid to have adequate options
to access aid held in an electronic benefits transfer account. No fee may
be charged to recipients for reasonable access to public aid benefits held
in such an account. Deposits into a financial institution for electronic
benefits transfer accounts shall be subject to community reinvestment and
to serving public benefits recipients pursuant to relevant criteria of the
State Treasurer, Comptroller, and the Illinois Department of Human
Services.
The Electronic Benefits Transfer Fund is hereby created for the purpose of
electronically disbursing public aid benefits.
The electronic benefits transfer contractor shall inform the Department of
Human Services
whenever it has distributed financial aid to individuals by means of electronic
benefits transfer. The Illinois Department of Human Services shall determine
the amount to be
reimbursed to the contractor and shall direct the State Treasurer to transfer
this
portion of the amount previously vouchered by the Department of Human Services
and approved by
the Comptroller pursuant to Section 9.05(c) of the State Comptroller Act to the
contractor from the Electronic Benefits Transfer Fund created
under Section 9.05(b) of the State Comptroller Act in accordance with the rules
and regulations of the Illinois Department of Human Services, the United
States Department of
Agriculture, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the
State Comptroller, and the State Treasurer.
(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)
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