HB1485eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1485 Engrossed LRB099 06089 HEP 26144 b

AN ACT concerning civil law.

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 10-14.1 and 10-15.1 as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/10-14.1)

Sec. 10-14.1. Relief from administrative orders.

(a) Subject to subsection (b), notwithstanding Notwithstanding the 30-day appeal period provided in Sections 10-12 and 10-12.1 and the limitation on review of final administrative decisions contained in Section 10-14, a responsible relative or a person receiving child support enforcement services under this Article who is aggrieved by an administrative order entered under Section 10-11 or 10-11.1 or an administrative determination of paternity entered under Section 10-17.7 and who did not petition within the 30-day appeal period may petition the Illinois Department for relief from the administrative order or determination on the same grounds as are provided for relief from judgments under Section 2-1401 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The petition must be filed not later than 2 years after the entry of the order or determination by the Illinois Department. The day immediately subsequent to the mailing of the order or determination shall be considered as the first day and the day the petition is received by the Illinois Department shall be considered as the last day in computing the 2-year period. Any period during which the person seeking relief is under a legal disability or duress or during which the grounds for relief are fraudulently concealed shall be excluded in computing the period of 2 years.

Upon receiving a petition within the 2-year period, the Illinois Department shall provide for a hearing to be held on the petition.

(b) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prohibit an action under subsection (b) of Section 4.1 of the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 to challenge an administrative determination of paternity entered under Section 10-17.7.

(Source: P.A. 92-590, eff. 7-1-02.)

(305 ILCS 5/10-15.1)

Sec. 10-15.1. Judicial registration of administrative support orders and administrative paternity orders.

(a) A final administrative support order or a final administrative paternity order, excluding a voluntary acknowledgement or denial of paternity that is governed by other provisions of this Code, the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984, and the Vital Records Act, established by the Illinois Department under this Article X may be registered in the appropriate circuit court of this State by the Department or by a party to the order by filing:

(1) Two copies, including one certified copy of the order to be registered, any modification of the administrative support order, any voluntary acknowledgment of paternity pertaining to the child covered by the order, and the documents showing service of the notice of support obligation that commenced the procedure for establishment of the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order pursuant to Section 10-4 of this Code.

(2) A sworn statement by the person requesting registration or a certified copy of the Department payment record showing the amount of any past due support accrued under the administrative support order.

(3) The name of the obligor and, if known, the obligor's address and social security number.

(4) The name of the obligee and the obligee's address, unless the obligee alleges in an affidavit or pleading under oath that the health, safety, or liberty of the obligee or child would be jeopardized by disclosure of specific identifying information, in which case that information must be sealed and may not be disclosed to the other party or public. After a hearing in which the court takes into consideration the health, safety, or liberty of the party or child, the court may order disclosure of information that the court determines to be in the interest of justice.

(b) The filing of an administrative support order or an administrative paternity order under subsection (a) constitutes registration with the circuit court.

(c) (Blank).

(c-5) Every notice of registration must be accompanied by a copy of the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order and the documents and relevant information accompanying the order pursuant to subsection (a).

(d) (Blank).

(d-5) The registering party shall serve notice of the registration on the other party by first class mail, unless the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order was entered by default or the registering party is also seeking an affirmative remedy. The registering party shall serve notice on the Department in all cases by first class mail.

(1) If the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order was entered by default against the obligor, the obligor must be served with the registration by any method provided by law for service of summons.

(2) If a petition or comparable pleading seeking an affirmative remedy is filed with the registration, the non-moving party must be served with the registration and the affirmative pleading by any method provided by law for service of summons.

(e) A notice of registration of an administrative support order or an administrative paternity order must provide the following information:

(1) That a registered administrative order is enforceable in the same manner as an order for support or an order for paternity issued by the circuit court.

(2) That a hearing to contest enforcement of the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order must be requested within 30 days after the date of service of the notice.

(3) That failure to contest, in a timely manner, the enforcement of the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order shall result in confirmation of the order and enforcement of the order and the alleged arrearages and precludes further contest of that order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted.

(4) The amount of any alleged arrearages.

(f) A nonregistering party seeking to contest enforcement of a registered administrative support order or a registered administrative paternity order shall request a hearing within 30 days after the date of service of notice of the registration. The nonregistering party may seek to vacate the registration, to assert any defense to an allegation of noncompliance with the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order, or to contest the remedies being sought or the amount of any alleged arrearages.

(g) If the nonregistering party fails to contest the enforcement of the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order in a timely manner, the order shall be confirmed by operation of law.

(h) If a nonregistering party requests a hearing to contest the enforcement of the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order, the circuit court shall schedule the matter for hearing and give notice to the parties and the Illinois Department of the date, time, and place of the hearing.

(i) A party contesting the enforcement of a registered administrative support order or a registered administrative paternity order or seeking to vacate the registration has the burden of proving one or more of the following defenses:

(1) The Illinois Department lacked personal jurisdiction over the contesting party.

(2) The administrative support order or the administrative paternity order was obtained by fraud.

(3) The administrative support order or the administrative paternity order has been vacated, suspended, or modified by a later order.

(4) The Illinois Department has stayed the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order pending appeal.

(5) There is a defense under the law to the remedy sought.

(6) Full or partial payment has been made.

(j) If a party presents evidence establishing a full or partial payment defense under subsection (i), the court may stay enforcement of the registered order, continue the proceeding to permit production of additional relevant evidence, and issue other appropriate orders. An uncontested portion of the registered administrative support order or the registered administrative paternity order may be enforced by all remedies available under State law.

(k) If a contesting party does not establish a defense under subsection (i) to the enforcement of the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order, the court shall issue an order confirming the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order. Confirmation of the registered administrative support order or the administrative paternity order, whether by operation of law or after notice and hearing, precludes further contest of the order with respect to any matter that could have been asserted at the time of registration. Upon confirmation, the registered administrative support order or the administrative paternity order shall be treated in the same manner as a support order or a paternity order entered by the circuit court, including the ability of the court to entertain a petition to modify the administrative support order due to a substantial change in circumstances or a petition to modify the administrative paternity order due to clear and convincing evidence regarding paternity, or petitions for visitation or custody of the child or children covered by the administrative support order or the administrative paternity order. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to alter the effect of a final administrative support order or a final administrative paternity order, or the restriction of judicial review of such a final order to the provisions of the Administrative Review Law, as provided in Sections Section 10-11 and 10-17.7 of this Code.

(Source: P.A. 97-926, eff. 8-10-12; 98-563, eff. 8-27-13.)

Section 10. The Illinois Parentage Act of 1984 is amended by changing Sections 4.1 and 8 as follows:

(750 ILCS 45/4.1)

Sec. 4.1. Administrative paternity determinations.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services may make administrative determinations of paternity and nonpaternity in accordance with Section 10-17.7 of the Illinois Public Aid Code. These determinations of paternity or nonpaternity shall have the full force and effect of judgments entered under this Act.

(b) An administrative determination of paternity that is not based on a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity made in accordance with Section 10-17.7 of the Illinois Public Aid Code may be challenged in court on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact, with the burden of proof upon the challenging party. Pending outcome of the challenge to the administrative determination of paternity, the legal responsibilities of the parties shall remain in full force and effect, except upon order of the court upon a showing of good cause. A party challenging an administrative determination of paternity made in accordance with Section 10-17.7 of the Illinois Public Aid Code must consent to and submit to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing, in accordance with Department of Healthcare and Family Services rules, in order to challenge paternity.

(c) For purposes of subsection (b), evidence that, based on deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing, the man who has been found to be the father of a child under an administrative determination of paternity is not the natural father of the child constitutes a material mistake of fact.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

(750 ILCS 45/8) (from Ch. 40, par. 2508)

Sec. 8. Statute of limitations.

(a) (1) An action brought by or on behalf of a child, an action brought by a party alleging that he or she is the child's natural parent, or an action brought by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid), if it is providing or has provided financial support to the child or if it is assisting with child support collection services, shall be barred if brought later than 2 years after the child reaches the age of majority; however, if the action on behalf of the child is brought by a public agency, other than the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (formerly Illinois Department of Public Aid) if it is providing or has provided financial support to the child or if it is assisting with child support collection services, it shall be barred 2 years after the agency has ceased to provide assistance to the child.

(2) Failure to bring an action within 2 years shall not bar any party from asserting a defense in any action to declare the non-existence of the parent and child relationship.

(3) An action to declare the non-existence of the parent and child relationship brought under subsection (b) of Section 7 of this Act shall be barred if brought later than 2 years after the petitioner obtains knowledge of relevant facts. The 2-year period for bringing an action to declare the nonexistence of the parent and child relationship shall not extend beyond the date on which the child reaches the age of 18 years. Failure to bring an action within 2 years shall not bar any party from asserting a defense in any action to declare the existence of the parent and child relationship.

(4) An action to declare the non-existence of the parent and child relationship brought under subsection (b-5) of Section 7 of this Act shall be barred if brought more than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1998 or more than 2 years after the petitioner obtains actual knowledge of relevant facts, whichever is later. The 2-year period shall not apply to periods of time where the natural mother or the child refuses to submit to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests. The 2-year period for bringing an action to declare the nonexistence of the parent and child relationship shall not extend beyond the date on which the child reaches the age of 18 years. Failure to bring an action within 2 years shall not bar any party from asserting a defense in any action to declare the existence of the parent and child relationship.

(5) An action under subsection (b) of Section 4.1 of this Act to challenge an administrative determination of paternity is barred if brought more than 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly or more than 2 years after the petitioner obtains actual knowledge of relevant facts, whichever is later. The 2-year period does not apply to periods of time when the natural mother or the child refuses to submit to deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests. The 2-year period for bringing an action under subsection (b) of Section 4.1 of this Act to challenge an administrative determination of paternity shall not extend beyond the date on which the child reaches the age of 18 years. Failure to bring an action within 2 years does not bar any party from asserting a defense in any action to declare the existence of the parent and child relationship.

(b) The time during which any party is not subject to service of process or is otherwise not subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this State shall toll the aforementioned periods.

(c) This Act does not affect the time within which any rights under the Probate Act of 1975 may be asserted beyond the time provided by law relating to distribution and closing of decedent's estates or to the determination of heirship, or otherwise.

(Source: P.A. 95-331, eff. 8-21-07.)

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