Governor Signs Five New Child Support Laws

The governor signed five bills into law to strengthen the Illinois child support enforcement program while praising several nonlegislative initiatives.

At the bill signing held at the Chicago offices of the Division of Child Support Enforcement, Governor Rod Blagojevich praised the work of the child support staff and hailed several non-legislative initiatives that have improved Illinois child support performance in the past two and a half years. The governor signed five bills into law to strengthen the Illinois child support enforcement program.

House Bill 783 allows non-custodial parents to make child support payments at currency exchanges. The change makes it easier for non-custodial parents without checking accounts to make their child support payments. The currency exchanges will forward the payments and case identifying information to the State Disbursement Unit for effective delivery to the custodial parent. This law was sponsored by: Reps. Cynthia Soto (D), Karen A. Yarbrough (D), Michelle Chavez (D), Maria Antonia Berrios (D), Edward J. Acevedo (D), Richard T. Bradley (D), and Sen. Iris Y. Martinez (D). It went into effect on June 30, 2005, and is now Public Act 94-0087.

House Bill 785 allows the child support agency to serve notice that it is providing child support services to the parents in a child support case and to receive notice of subsequent actions in the case. This change will help avoid confusion by having the child support agency aware of actions in child support cases. This law was sponsored by: Reps. Cynthia Soto (D), Patricia R. Bellock (R), Eileen Lyons (R), and Sen. Iris Martinez (D). It takes effect January 1, 2006, and is Public Act 94-0088.

Senate Bill 0095 provides for interest payments on unpaid maintenance obligations (alimony) in divorce cases the same as for unpaid child support obligations.. This law was sponsored by: Sens. Susan Garrett (D), Jacqueline Y. Collins (D), Carol Ronen (D), and Reps. Patricia Reid Lindner (R), Patricia Bellock (R), Jack D. Franks (D) and Linda Chapa LaVia (D). It takes effect January 1, 2006, and is Public Act 94-0089.

Senate Bill 452 simplifies the calculation and distribution of interest on unpaid child support and ensures that the collections of interest are paid to the family first. This law was sponsored by: Sens. M. Maggie Crotty (D), Jacqueline Collins (D), Pamela J. Althoff (R), and Reps. Patricia Reid Lindner (R), Jack Franks (D) and Linda Chapa LaVia (D). It takes effect January 1, 2006, and is Public Act 94-0090.

Senate Bill 955 increases the options available to the state child support agency for serving notices on non-custodial parents in administrative child support cases by using of licensed private process servers. This law was sponsored by: Sens. Kwame Raoul (D), Emil Jones Jr. (D), and Reps. Lovana Jones (D), Cynthia Soto (D), Barbara Flynn Currie (D), Monique D. Davis (D) and Richard T. Bradley (D). It went into effect June 30, 2005, and is Public Act 94-0092.

At the bill signing ceremony, the Governor hailed the launch of the Deadbeat Parents Web site, which identifies parents who owe more than $5,000 in back support. He also recognized the improvements in operating the New Hire Directory, which establishes a hotline for employers and provides training materials for them. Both initiatives are aimed at improving child support services and collections. According to the Governor, Illinois collected a record-breaking $1 billion in child support this past year.

For more information, contact Margaret Stapleton at the Shriver Center, 312.368.3327.