HB0237 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 04143 HEP 14148 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB0237

Introduced , by Rep. La Shawn K. Ford

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

305 ILCS 5/10-1	from Ch. 23, par. 10-1
735 ILCS 5/12-109	from Ch. 110, par. 12-109

Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code and the Code of Civil Procedure. Provides that upon the assignment to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services of the right to collect a child support obligation, additional interest on the amount of the obligation owed to the State ceases to accrue.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public aid.

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

Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by changing Section 10-1 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/10-1) (from Ch. 23, par. 10-1)

Sec. 10-1. Declaration of Public Policy - Persons Eligible for Child Support Enforcement Services - Fees for Non-Applicants and Non-Recipients.) It is the intent of this Code that the financial aid and social welfare services herein provided supplement rather than supplant the primary and continuing obligation of the family unit for self-support to the fullest extent permitted by the resources available to it. This primary and continuing obligation applies whether the family unit of parents and children or of husband and wife remains intact and resides in a common household or whether the unit has been broken by absence of one or more members of the unit. The obligation of the family unit is particularly applicable when a member is in necessitous circumstances and lacks the means of a livelihood compatible with health and well-being.

It is the purpose of this Article to provide for locating an absent parent or spouse, for determining his financial circumstances, and for enforcing his legal obligation of support, if he is able to furnish support, in whole or in part. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall give priority to establishing, enforcing and collecting the current support obligation, and then to past due support owed to the family unit, except with respect to collections effected through the intercept programs provided for in this Article.

The child support enforcement services provided hereunder shall be furnished dependents of an absent parent or spouse who are applicants for or recipients of financial aid under this Code. It is not, however, a condition of eligibility for financial aid that there be no responsible relatives who are reasonably able to provide support. Nor, except as provided in Sections 4-1.7 and 10-8, shall the existence of such relatives or their payment of support contributions disqualify a needy person for financial aid.

By accepting financial aid under this Code, a spouse or a parent or other person having custody of a child shall be deemed to have made assignment to the Illinois Department for aid under Articles III, IV, V and VII or to a local governmental unit for aid under Article VI of any and all rights, title, and interest in any support obligation, including statutory interest thereon, up to the amount of financial aid provided. The rights to support assigned to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid) or local governmental unit shall constitute an obligation owed the State or local governmental unit by the person who is responsible for providing the support, and shall be collectible under all applicable processes. Upon the assignment to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services of rights to support, additional interest on the amount of the obligation owed to the State ceases to accrue.

The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall also furnish the child support enforcement services established under this Article in behalf of persons who are not applicants for or recipients of financial aid under this Code in accordance with the requirements of Title IV, Part D of the Social Security Act. The Department may establish a schedule of reasonable fees, to be paid for the services provided and may deduct a collection fee, not to exceed 10% of the amount collected, from such collection. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall cause to be published and distributed publications reasonably calculated to inform the public that individuals who are not recipients of or applicants for public aid under this Code are eligible for the child support enforcement services under this Article X. Such publications shall set forth an explanation, in plain language, that the child support enforcement services program is independent of any public aid program under the Code and that the receiving of child support enforcement services in no way implies that the person receiving such services is receiving public aid.

(Source: P.A. 94-90, eff. 1-1-06; 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

Section 10. The Code of Civil Procedure is amended by changing Section 12-109 as follows:

(735 ILCS 5/12-109) (from Ch. 110, par. 12-109)

Sec. 12-109. Interest on judgments.

(a) Every judgment except those arising by operation of law from child support orders shall bear interest thereon as provided in Section 2-1303.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Section, every Every judgment arising by operation of law from a child support order shall bear interest as provided in this subsection. The interest on judgments arising by operation of law from child support orders shall be calculated by applying one-twelfth of the current statutory interest rate as provided in Section 2-1303 to the unpaid child support balance as of the end of each calendar month. The unpaid child support balance at the end of the month is the total amount of child support ordered, excluding the child support that was due for that month to the extent that it was not paid in that month and including judgments for retroactive child support, less all payments received and applied as set forth in this subsection. The accrued interest shall not be included in the unpaid child support balance when calculating interest at the end of the month. The unpaid child support balance as of the end of each month shall be determined by calculating the current monthly child support obligation and applying all payments received for that month, except federal income tax refund intercepts, first to the current monthly child support obligation and then applying any payments in excess of the current monthly child support obligation to the unpaid child support balance owed from previous months. The current monthly child support obligation shall be determined from the document that established the support obligation. Federal income tax refund intercepts and any payments in excess of the current monthly child support obligation shall be applied to the unpaid child support balance. Any payments in excess of the current monthly child support obligation and the unpaid child support balance shall be applied to the accrued interest on the unpaid child support balance. Interest on child support obligations may be collected by any means available under State law for the collection of child support judgments.

(c) Upon the assignment to the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, under Section 10-1 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, of the right to collect a child support obligation, additional interest on the amount of the obligation owed to the State ceases to accrue.

(Source: P.A. 98-563, eff. 8-27-13.)