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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0374

SB993 Enrolled                                 LRB9208130DJmg

    AN ACT in relation to child support.

    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 10-16.5 as follows:

    (305 ILCS 5/10-16.5)
    Sec.   10-16.5.   Interest  on  support  obligations.   A
support obligation, or any portion of a  support  obligation,
which  becomes  due  and  remains  unpaid for 30 days or more
shall accrue simple interest at the rate of 9% per annum.  An
order  for support entered or modified on or after January 1,
2002 shall contain a  statement  that  a  support  obligation
required  under  the  order,  or  any  portion  of  a support
obligation required under the order,  that  becomes  due  and
remains  unpaid  for  30  days  or  more  shall accrue simple
interest at the rate of 9% per annum.  Failure to include the
statement in the  order  for  support  does  not  affect  the
validity  of the order or the accrual of interest as provided
in this Section.
(Source: P.A. 91-397, eff. 1-1-00.)

    Section 10.  The Illinois  Marriage  and  Dissolution  of
Marriage Act is amended by changing Section 505 as follows:

    (750 ILCS 5/505) (from Ch. 40, par. 505)
    Sec. 505.  Child support; contempt; penalties.
    (a)  In  a  proceeding for dissolution of marriage, legal
separation,  declaration  of  invalidity   of   marriage,   a
proceeding  for  child  support  following dissolution of the
marriage by a court which lacked personal  jurisdiction  over
the  absent  spouse,  a  proceeding  for  modification  of  a
previous  order  for  child support under Section 510 of this
Act, or any proceeding authorized under Section 501 or 601 of
this Act, the court may order either or both parents owing  a
duty  of  support to a child of the marriage to pay an amount
reasonable and necessary for his support, without  regard  to
marital  misconduct.  The  duty  of  support  owed to a minor
child includes the obligation to provide for  the  reasonable
and  necessary physical, mental and emotional health needs of
the child.
         (1)  The Court shall determine the minimum amount of
    support by using the following guidelines:
      Number of Children       Percent of Supporting Party's
                                         Net Income
              1                             20%
              2                             25%
              3                             32%
              4                             40%
              5                             45%
          6 or more                         50%
         (2)  The above guidelines shall be applied  in  each
    case unless the court makes a finding that application of
    the  guidelines would be inappropriate, after considering
    the best interests of the  child  in  light  of  evidence
    including but not limited to one or more of the following
    relevant factors:
              (a)  the  financial  resources and needs of the
         child;
              (b)  the financial resources and needs  of  the
         custodial parent;
              (c)  the  standard  of  living  the child would
         have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved;
              (d)  the physical and  emotional  condition  of
         the child, and his educational needs; and
              (e)  the  financial  resources and needs of the

         non-custodial parent.
         If the  court  deviates  from  the  guidelines,  the
    court's  finding  shall  state the amount of support that
    would  have  been  required  under  the  guidelines,   if
    determinable.   The  court  shall  include  the reason or
    reasons for the variance from the guidelines.
         (3)  "Net income" is defined as  the  total  of  all
    income from all sources, minus the following deductions:
              (a)  Federal  income  tax  (properly calculated
         withholding or estimated payments);
              (b)  State  income  tax  (properly   calculated
         withholding or estimated payments);
              (c)  Social Security (FICA payments);
              (d)  Mandatory     retirement     contributions
         required by law or as a condition of employment;
              (e)  Union dues;
              (f)  Dependent          and          individual
         health/hospitalization insurance premiums;
              (g)  Prior    obligations    of    support   or
         maintenance actually paid pursuant to a court order;
              (h)  Expenditures for repayment of  debts  that
         represent  reasonable and necessary expenses for the
         production of income, medical expenditures necessary
         to preserve life or health, reasonable  expenditures
         for  the  benefit of the child and the other parent,
         exclusive of gifts.   The  court  shall  reduce  net
         income  in determining the minimum amount of support
         to be ordered only for the period that such payments
         are  due  and  shall  enter  an   order   containing
         provisions  for its self-executing modification upon
         termination of such payment period.
         (4)  In cases where the  court  order  provides  for
    health/hospitalization  insurance  coverage  pursuant  to
    Section   505.2  of  this  Act,  the  premiums  for  that
    insurance, or that portion of the premiums for which  the
    supporting  party is responsible in the case of insurance
    provided through  an  employer's  health  insurance  plan
    where  the employer pays a portion of the premiums, shall
    be subtracted from net income in determining the  minimum
    amount of support to be ordered.
         (4.5)  In  a  proceeding for child support following
    dissolution of  the  marriage  by  a  court  that  lacked
    personal  jurisdiction  over  the  absent  spouse, and in
    which the court is requiring payment of support  for  the
    period  before  the  date an order for current support is
    entered, there  is  a  rebuttable  presumption  that  the
    supporting  party's  net  income for the prior period was
    the same as his or her net income at the time  the  order
    for current support is entered.
         (5)  If  the net income cannot be determined because
    of default or any other reason,  the  court  shall  order
    support   in  an  amount  considered  reasonable  in  the
    particular case.  The final  order  in  all  cases  shall
    state  the  support  level in dollar amounts. However, if
    the court finds that the child support amount  cannot  be
    expressed exclusively as a dollar amount because all or a
    portion  of  the  payor's  net  income is uncertain as to
    source, time of payment, or amount, the court may order a
    percentage amount of support in addition  to  a  specific
    dollar  amount  and  enter  such  other  orders as may be
    necessary to determine and enforce, on  a  timely  basis,
    the applicable support ordered.
         (6)  If  (i)  the  non-custodial parent was properly
    served  with  a  request  for  discovery   of   financial
    information   relating   to  the  non-custodial  parent's
    ability to provide child support, (ii) the  non-custodial
    parent  failed to comply with the request, despite having
    been ordered to  do  so  by  the  court,  and  (iii)  the
    non-custodial  parent  is  not  present at the hearing to
    determine support despite having received proper  notice,
    then  any  relevant  financial information concerning the
    non-custodial parent's ability to provide  child  support
    that  was obtained pursuant to subpoena and proper notice
    shall be admitted  into  evidence  without  the  need  to
    establish any further foundation for its admission.
    (a-5)  In an action to enforce an order for support based
on  the  respondent's  failure  to  make  support payments as
required by the order, notice  of  proceedings  to  hold  the
respondent  in contempt for that failure may be served on the
respondent by personal service or by regular  mail  addressed
to  the  respondent's  last  known address.  The respondent's
last known address may be  determined  from  records  of  the
clerk  of  the court, from the Federal Case Registry of Child
Support Orders, or by any other reasonable means.
    (b)  Failure of either parent to comply with an order  to
pay  support  shall  be  punishable  as  in  other  cases  of
contempt.  In addition to other penalties provided by law the
Court may, after finding the parent guilty of contempt, order
that the parent be:
         (1)  placed  on  probation  with  such conditions of
    probation as the Court deems advisable;
         (2)  sentenced to periodic imprisonment for a period
    not to exceed 6 months; provided, however, that the Court
    may permit the parent to be released for periods of  time
    during the day or night to:
              (A)  work; or
              (B)  conduct  a business or other self-employed
         occupation.
    The Court may further  order  any  part  or  all  of  the
earnings   of   a   parent  during  a  sentence  of  periodic
imprisonment paid to the Clerk of the Circuit Court or to the
parent having custody or to the guardian  having  custody  of
the minor children of the sentenced parent for the support of
said minor children until further order of the Court.
    If  there is a unity of interest and ownership sufficient
to render no financial  separation  between  a  non-custodial
parent  and another person or persons or business entity, the
court may pierce the ownership veil of the  person,  persons,
or  business  entity  to discover assets of the non-custodial
parent held in the name of that  person,  those  persons,  or
that  business  entity.    The  following  circumstances  are
sufficient  to  authorize  a  court to order discovery of the
assets of a person, persons, or business entity and to compel
the application of any discovered assets  toward  payment  on
the judgment for support:
         (1)  the   non-custodial   parent  and  the  person,
    persons, or business entity maintain records together.
         (2)  the  non-custodial  parent  and   the   person,
    persons,  or  business  entity  fail  to maintain an arms
    length relationship between themselves with regard to any
    assets.
         (3)  the non-custodial parent  transfers  assets  to
    the  person,  persons, or business entity with the intent
    to perpetrate a fraud on the custodial parent.
    With respect to assets which are real property, no  order
entered  under this paragraph shall affect the rights of bona
fide purchasers, mortgagees,  judgment  creditors,  or  other
lien  holders  who   acquire  their interests in the property
prior to the time a notice of lis  pendens  pursuant  to  the
Code  of  Civil Procedure or a copy of the order is placed of
record in the office of the recorder of deeds for the  county
in which the real property is located.
    The  court may also order in cases where the parent is 90
days or more delinquent in payment of  support  or  has  been
adjudicated  in  arrears  in  an  amount  equal  to  90  days
obligation  or  more,  that  the  parent's  Illinois  driving
privileges  be  suspended until the court determines that the
parent is in compliance with the order of support. The  court
may  also  order that the parent be issued a family financial
responsibility  driving  permit  that  would  allow   limited
driving  privileges  for  employment  and medical purposes in
accordance with Section 7-702.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.
The clerk of  the  circuit  court  shall  certify  the  order
suspending  the  driving privileges of the parent or granting
the issuance of a  family  financial  responsibility  driving
permit  to  the Secretary of State on forms prescribed by the
Secretary. Upon receipt of the authenticated  documents,  the
Secretary   of  State  shall  suspend  the  parent's  driving
privileges until further order of the  court  and  shall,  if
ordered  by  the  court, subject to the provisions of Section
7-702.1  of  the  Illinois  Vehicle  Code,  issue  a   family
financial responsibility driving permit to the parent.
    In  addition  to  the penalties or punishment that may be
imposed  under  this  Section,  any  person   whose   conduct
constitutes  a  violation  of  Section  15 of the Non-Support
Punishment Act may be prosecuted under that Act, and a person
convicted under that Act may be sentenced in accordance  with
that  Act.   The sentence may include but need not be limited
to a requirement that the person  perform  community  service
under  Section  50  of  that  Act  or  participate  in a work
alternative program under Section 50 of that Act.   A  person
may  not  be  required  to  participate in a work alternative
program under Section  50  of  that  Act  if  the  person  is
currently participating in a work program pursuant to Section
505.1 of this Act.
    A  support  obligation,  or  any  portion  of  a  support
obligation,  which becomes due and remains unpaid for 30 days
or more shall accrue simple interest at the rate  of  9%  per
annum.  An  order for support entered or modified on or after
January 1, 2002 shall contain  a  statement  that  a  support
obligation  required  under  the  order,  or any portion of a
support obligation required under the order, that becomes due
and remains unpaid for 30 days or more  shall  accrue  simple
interest at the rate of 9% per annum.  Failure to include the
statement  in  the  order  for  support  does  not affect the
validity of the order or the accrual of interest as  provided
in this Section.
    (c)  A  one-time  charge  of  20%  is  imposable upon the
amount of past-due child support owed on July 1,  1988  which
has  accrued under a support order entered by the court.  The
charge shall be imposed in accordance with the provisions  of
Section  10-21  of  the Illinois Public Aid Code and shall be
enforced by the court upon petition.
    (d)  Any new or existing support  order  entered  by  the
court  under  this  Section shall be deemed to be a series of
judgments  against  the  person  obligated  to  pay   support
thereunder,  each  such  judgment to be in the amount of each
payment or installment of support and each such  judgment  to
be deemed entered as of the date the corresponding payment or
installment becomes due under the terms of the support order.
Each  such  judgment  shall  have  the full force, effect and
attributes of any other judgment of this State, including the
ability to be enforced. A lien arises  by  operation  of  law
against  the  real  and personal property of the noncustodial
parent for each installment of overdue support  owed  by  the
noncustodial parent.
    (e)  When  child  support is to be paid through the clerk
of the court in a county of 1,000,000  inhabitants  or  less,
the  order  shall  direct the obligor to pay to the clerk, in
addition to the child support payments, all fees  imposed  by
the  county  board  under  paragraph (3) of subsection (u) of
Section 27.1 of the Clerks of Courts  Act.   Unless  paid  in
cash  or pursuant to an order for withholding, the payment of
the fee shall be by a separate instrument  from  the  support
payment and shall be made to the order of the Clerk.
    (f)  All  orders  for  support, when entered or modified,
shall include a provision requiring the obligor to notify the
court and, in cases in which a party is receiving  child  and
spouse  services  under  Article X of the Illinois Public Aid
Code, the Illinois Department of Public Aid, within  7  days,
(i)  of  the  name  and  address  of  any new employer of the
obligor, (ii)  whether  the  obligor  has  access  to  health
insurance  coverage  through  the  employer  or  other  group
coverage and, if so, the policy name and number and the names
of  persons  covered  under  the policy, and (iii) of any new
residential or mailing address or  telephone  number  of  the
non-custodial  parent.  In any subsequent action to enforce a
support order, upon a  sufficient  showing  that  a  diligent
effort  has  been  made  to  ascertain  the  location  of the
non-custodial parent, service  of  process  or  provision  of
notice  necessary  in  the case may be made at the last known
address of the non-custodial parent in any  manner  expressly
provided  by  the  Code of Civil Procedure or this Act, which
service shall be sufficient for purposes of due process.
    (g)  An order for support shall include a date  on  which
the  current  support obligation terminates.  The termination
date shall be no earlier than the date  on  which  the  child
covered  by  the  order will attain the age of majority or is
otherwise emancipated. The order for support shall state that
the termination date does not apply to any arrearage that may
remain unpaid on that date.  Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to prevent the court from modifying the order.
    (h)  An order entered under this Section shall include  a
provision  requiring the obligor to report to the obligee and
to the clerk of court within 10 days each  time  the  obligor
obtains   new   employment,   and  each  time  the  obligor's
employment is terminated for any reason.  The report shall be
in writing and shall, in the case of new employment,  include
the  name and address of the new employer.  Failure to report
new employment or the termination of current  employment,  if
coupled  with nonpayment of support for a period in excess of
60 days, is indirect  criminal  contempt.   For  any  obligor
arrested  for  failure to report new employment bond shall be
set in the amount of the child support that should have  been
paid  during  the  period of unreported employment.  An order
entered under this Section shall  also  include  a  provision
requiring  the  obligor  and  obligee  parents to advise each
other of a change in residence within 5 days  of  the  change
except  when  the  court  finds that the physical, mental, or
emotional health of a party or that  of  a  minor  child,  or
both,  would  be  seriously  endangered  by disclosure of the
party's address.
(Source:  P.A.  90-18,  eff.  7-1-97;  90-476,  eff.  1-1-98;
90-539, eff.  6-1-98;  90-655,  eff.  7-30-98;  90-733,  eff.
8-11-98;  91-113,  eff. 7-15-99; 91-397, eff. 1-1-00; 91-655,
eff. 6-1-00; 91-767, eff. 6-9-00; revised 6-28-00.)

    Section 15.  The Non-Support Punishment Act is amended by
changing Section 20 as follows:

    (750 ILCS 16/20)
    Sec. 20.  Entry of order for support; income withholding.
    (a) In a case in which no court or  administrative  order
for support is in effect against the defendant:
         (1) at any time before the trial, upon motion of the
    State's  Attorney,  or  of  the  Attorney  General if the
    action has been instituted by his office, and upon notice
    to the defendant, or at the time of arraignment or  as  a
    condition  of  postponement of arraignment, the court may
    enter such temporary order for support as may seem  just,
    providing for the support or maintenance of the spouse or
    child  or  children  of  the defendant, or both, pendente
    lite; or
         (2) before trial with the consent of the  defendant,
    or  at  the  trial on entry of a plea of guilty, or after
    conviction, instead of imposing the penalty  provided  in
    this  Act, or in addition thereto, the court may enter an
    order for support, subject to modification by  the  court
    from time to time as circumstances may require, directing
    the defendant to pay a certain sum for maintenance of the
    spouse, or for support of the child or children, or both.
    (b) The court shall determine the amount of child support
by using the guidelines and standards set forth in subsection
(a)  of  Section  505  and  in  Section 505.2 of the Illinois
Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.
    If (i) the non-custodial parent was properly served  with
a  request for discovery of financial information relating to
the non-custodial parent's ability to provide child  support,
(ii)  the  non-custodial  parent  failed  to  comply with the
request, despite having been ordered to do so by  the  court,
and  (iii)  the  non-custodial  parent  is not present at the
hearing to determine support despite having  received  proper
notice,  then  any  relevant financial information concerning
the non-custodial parent's ability to  provide  support  that
was  obtained pursuant to subpoena and proper notice shall be
admitted into evidence without  the  need  to  establish  any
further foundation for its admission.
    (c)  The  court shall determine the amount of maintenance
using the standards set forth in  Section 504 of the Illinois
Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.
    (d) The court may, for violation of any order under  this
Section,  punish the offender as for a contempt of court, but
no pendente lite order shall remain in effect longer  than  4
months,  or  after  the  discharge  of  any  panel  of jurors
summoned for service thereafter in such court,  whichever  is
sooner.
    (e) Any order for support entered by the court under this
Section  shall  be deemed to be a series of judgments against
the person obligated to pay support under the judgments, each
such judgment  to  be  in  the  amount  of  each  payment  or
installment of support and each judgment to be deemed entered
as  of  the  date  the  corresponding  payment or installment
becomes due under the  terms  of  the  support  order.   Each
judgment shall have the full force, effect, and attributes of
any other judgment of this State, including the ability to be
enforced.   Each  judgment  is  subject  to  modification  or
termination  only  in  accordance  with  Section  510  of the
Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage  Act.   A  lien
arises  by  operation  of  law  against the real and personal
property of the noncustodial parent for each  installment  of
overdue support owed by the noncustodial parent.
    (f) An order for support entered under this Section shall
include  a  provision  requiring the obligor to report to the
obligee and to the clerk of the court  within  10  days  each
time  the  obligor  obtains new employment, and each time the
obligor's employment  is  terminated  for  any  reason.   The
report  shall  be  in  writing  and shall, in the case of new
employment, include the name and address of the new employer.
    Failure to report new employment or  the  termination  of
current employment, if coupled with nonpayment of support for
a period in excess of 60 days, is indirect criminal contempt.
For   any   obligor   arrested  for  failure  to  report  new
employment, bond shall be set in  the  amount  of  the  child
support  that  should  have  been  paid  during the period of
unreported employment.
    An order for support entered  under  this  Section  shall
also  include  a  provision requiring the obligor and obligee
parents to advise each other of a change in residence  within
5  days  of  the  change except when the court finds that the
physical, mental, or emotional health of  a  party  or  of  a
minor  child,  or  both,  would  be  seriously  endangered by
disclosure of the party's address.
    (g) An order for support entered or modified in a case in
which a party is receiving child and spouse support  services
under Article X of the Illinois Public Aid Code shall include
a  provision  requiring the noncustodial parent to notify the
Illinois Department of Public Aid, within 7 days, of the name
and address of any new employer of the  noncustodial  parent,
whether   the   noncustodial  parent  has  access  to  health
insurance  coverage  through  the  employer  or  other  group
coverage and, if so, the policy name and number and the names
of persons covered under the policy.
    (h) In any subsequent action  to  enforce  an  order  for
support  entered under this Act, upon sufficient showing that
diligent effort has been made to ascertain  the  location  of
the  noncustodial  parent, service of process or provision of
notice necessary in that action may be made at the last known
address of the noncustodial parent, in any  manner  expressly
provided by the Code of Civil Procedure or in this Act, which
service shall be sufficient for purposes of due process.
    (i)  An  order  for support shall include a date on which
the current support obligation terminates.   The  termination
date  shall  be  no  earlier than the date on which the child
covered by the order will attain the age of  majority  or  is
otherwise emancipated. The order for support shall state that
the termination date does not apply to any arrearage that may
remain unpaid on that date.  Nothing in this subsection shall
be construed to prevent the court from modifying the order.
    (j)  A  support  obligation,  or any portion of a support
obligation, which becomes due and remains unpaid for 30  days
or  more  shall  accrue simple interest at the rate of 9% per
annum. An order for support entered or modified on  or  after
January  1,  2002  shall  contain  a statement that a support
obligation required under the order,  or  any  portion  of  a
support obligation required under the order, that becomes due
and  remains  unpaid  for 30 days or more shall accrue simple
interest at the rate of 9% per annum.  Failure to include the
statement in the  order  for  support  does  not  affect  the
validity  of the order or the accrual of interest as provided
in this Section.
(Source: P.A. 91-613, eff. 10-1-99; 91-767, eff. 6-9-00.)

    Section  20.  The  Illinois  Parentage  Act  of  1984  is
amended by changing Section 20.7 as follows:

    (750 ILCS 45/20.7)
    Sec. 20.7.  Interest on support obligations.   A  support
obligation,  or  any  portion  of a support obligation, which
becomes due and remains unpaid for  30  days  or  more  shall
accrue  simple interest at the rate of 9% per annum. An order
for support entered or modified on or after January  1,  2002
shall  contain a statement that a support obligation required
under the order, or  any  portion  of  a  support  obligation
required under the order, that becomes due and remains unpaid
for  30 days or more shall accrue simple interest at the rate
of 9% per annum.  Failure to include  the  statement  in  the
order  for  support does not affect the validity of the order
or the accrual of interest as provided in this Section.
(Source: P.A. 91-397, eff. 1-1-00.)

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.
    Passed in the General Assembly May 22, 2001.
    Approved August 15, 2001.

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