Public Act 93-0437

SB167 Enrolled                       LRB093 07332 RCE 07494 b

    AN ACT in relation to parenting.

    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.

    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 to be  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.
    (b)  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 and serving
at the pleasure of the Governor.  Members  appointed  by  the
Governor must be chosen on the basis of their interest in and
experience  with  children  and  families.   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 Governor 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 Department of Human
Services must provide staff 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 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   Fatherhood   Fund.   Grants,
contributions,  and  other  funds  received by the Council on
Responsible Fatherhood must be deposited into the Responsible
Fatherhood  Fund,  a  special  fund  created  in  the   State
treasury,  and,  subject  to appropriation and as directed by
the Council may be expended for the purposes of this Act.

    Section 25.  Repeal.  This Act is  repealed  on  July  1,
2005.

    Section  90.   The State Finance Act is amended by adding
Section 5.595 as follows:

    (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new)
    Sec. 5.595.  The Responsible Fatherhood Fund.

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.