(750 ILCS 5/709) (from Ch. 40, par. 709)

Sec. 709. Mandatory child support payments to clerk.

(a) As of January 1, 1982, child support orders entered in any county covered by this subsection shall be made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 709 through 712 of this Act. For purposes of these Sections, the term "child support payment" or "payment" shall include any payment ordered to be made solely for the purpose of the support of a child or children or any payment ordered for general support which includes any amount for support of any child or children.

The provisions of Sections 709 through 712 shall be applicable to any county with a population of 2 million or more and to any other county which notifies the Supreme Court of its desire to be included within the coverage of these Sections and is certified pursuant to Supreme Court Rules.

The effective date of inclusion, however, shall be subject to approval of the application for reimbursement of the costs of the support program by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services as provided in Section 712.

(b) In any proceeding for a dissolution of marriage, legal separation, or declaration of invalidity of marriage, or in any supplementary proceedings in which a judgment or modification thereof for the payment of child support is entered on or after January 1, 1982, in any county covered by Sections 709 through 712, and the person entitled to payment is receiving a grant of financial aid under Article IV of the Illinois Public Aid Code or has applied and qualified for child support enforcement services under Section 10-1 of that Code, the court shall direct: (1) that such payments be made to the clerk of the court and (2) that the parties affected shall each thereafter notify the clerk of any change of address or change in other conditions that may affect the administration of the order, including the fact that a party who was previously not on public aid has become a recipient of public aid, within 10 days of such change. All notices sent to the obligor's last known address on file with the clerk shall be deemed sufficient to proceed with enforcement pursuant to the provisions of Sections 709 through 712.

In all other cases, the court may direct that payments be made to the clerk of the court.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this Section, the clerk shall disburse the payments to the person or persons entitled thereto under the terms of the order or judgment.

(d) The court shall determine, prior to the entry of the support order, if the party who is to receive the support is presently receiving public aid or has a current application for public aid pending and shall enter the finding on the record.

If the person entitled to payment is a recipient of aid under the Illinois Public Aid Code, the clerk, upon being informed of this fact by finding of the court, by notification by the party entitled to payment, by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid) or by the local governmental unit, shall make all payments to: (1) the Department of Healthcare and Family Services if the person is a recipient under Article III, IV, or V of the Code or (2) the local governmental unit responsible for his or her support if the person is a recipient under Article VI or VII of the Code. In accordance with federal law and regulations, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may continue to collect current maintenance payments or child support payments, or both, after those persons cease to receive public assistance and until termination of services under Article X of the Illinois Public Aid Code. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall pay the net amount collected to those persons after deducting any costs incurred in making the collection or any collection fee from the amount of any recovery made. Upon termination of public aid payments to such a recipient or termination of services under Article X of the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or the appropriate local governmental unit shall notify the clerk in writing or by electronic transmission that all subsequent payments are to be sent directly to the person entitled thereto.

Payments under this Section to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services pursuant to the Child Support Enforcement Program established by Title IV-D of the Social Security Act shall be paid into the Child Support Enforcement Trust Fund. All payments under this Section to the Illinois Department of Human Services shall be deposited in the DHS Recoveries Trust Fund. Disbursements from these funds shall be as provided in the Illinois Public Aid Code. Payments received by a local governmental unit shall be deposited in that unit's General Assistance Fund.

(e) Any order or judgment may be amended by the court, upon its own motion or upon the motion of either party, to conform with the provisions of Sections 709 through 712, either as to the requirement of making payments to the clerk or, where payments are already being made to the clerk, as to the statutory fees provided for under Section 711.

(f) The clerk may invest in any interest bearing account or in any securities, monies collected for the benefit of a payee, where such payee cannot be found; however, the investment may be only for the period until the clerk is able to locate and present the payee with such monies. The clerk may invest in any interest bearing account, or in any securities, monies collected for the benefit of any other payee; however, this does not alter the clerk's obligation to make payments to the payee in a timely manner. Any interest or capital gains accrued shall be for the benefit of the county and shall be paid into the special fund established in subsection (b) of Section 711.

(g) The clerk shall establish and maintain a payment record of all monies received and disbursed and such record shall constitute prima facie evidence of such payment and non-payment, as the case may be.

(h) For those cases in which child support is payable to the clerk of the circuit court for transmittal to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid) by order of court or upon notification by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid), the clerk shall transmit all such payments, within 4 working days of receipt, to insure that funds are available for immediate distribution by the Department to the person or entity entitled thereto in accordance with standards of the Child Support Enforcement Program established under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. The clerk shall notify the Department of the date of receipt and amount thereof at the time of transmittal. Where the clerk has entered into an agreement of cooperation with the Department to record the terms of child support orders and payments made thereunder directly into the Department's automated data processing system, the clerk shall account for, transmit and otherwise distribute child support payments in accordance with such agreement in lieu of the requirements contained herein.

(i) To the extent the provisions of this Section are inconsistent with the requirements pertaining to the State Disbursement Unit under Section 507.1 of this Act and Section 10-26 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, the requirements pertaining to the State Disbursement Unit shall apply.

(Source: P.A. 94-88, eff. 1-1-06; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)