55 ILCS 82/ Neutral Site Custody Exchange Funding Act.

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55 ILCS 82/1

(55 ILCS 82/1)

Sec. 1.

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the

Neutral Site Custody Exchange Funding Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-811, eff. 6-13-00.)

55 ILCS 82/5

(55 ILCS 82/5)

Sec. 5.

Legislative findings.

The General Assembly finds that the
domestic relations area of law, and particularly child custody matters,
frequently involves
seemingly minor disputes between individuals that escalate
into major social and legal problems without the intervention of neutral
parties; these problems often result in emotional damage to the children
involved and create an extra burden for the courts; there are
compelling reasons for providing neutral sites for parents to exchange the
physical custody of a child for purposes of visitation; and not-for-profit
charitable organizations
can make a substantial contribution to the
expeditious implementation of child custody and visitation orders
in this State.

(Source: P.A. 91-811, eff. 6-13-00.)

55 ILCS 82/10

(55 ILCS 82/10)

Sec. 10.

Definition.

In this Act:

"Custody exchange" means an exchange of the physical custody of a child at
the commencement or conclusion of visitation with the child or at other times
pursuant to an order for child custody or visitation.

"Neutral site" means a place not under the ownership or control of any party
to an order for child custody or visitation, where a custody exchange takes
place.

(Source: P.A. 91-811, eff. 6-13-00.)

55 ILCS 82/15

(55 ILCS 82/15)

Sec. 15. Fund; fee; administration.

(a) In any county, a neutral site custody exchange
fund
may be established by the passage of an ordinance by the
county board.

(b) In each county in which a county board has enacted an
ordinance authorizing a neutral site custody exchange fund to be established,
the
county board shall set a fee to be collected by the clerk of the circuit court
on all civil case filings of not less than $1 nor more than $8 to be paid by
the plaintiff at the time of the filing of the case and by the defendant at the
time of filing an appearance.  The county board shall review the amount of the
fee on an annual basis and shall increase the amount of the fee, not to exceed
the $8 maximum, if the demand for neutral site custody exchanges requires
additional
funding.

(c) In each county in which a county board has enacted an
ordinance authorizing a neutral site custody exchange
fund to be established,
the clerk of the circuit court shall charge and collect a neutral site custody
exchange fund fee as established by the county ordinance. The fee shall be paid
by
the parties to the action at
the time of filing the first
pleading in all civil cases.
The fees shall not be charged in any proceeding commenced by or on behalf
of a unit of local government.

The fees shall be in addition to all other fees and charges of the
clerk, shall be assessable as costs, shall be remitted by the clerk
monthly to the county treasurer, and shall be deposited monthly by the
county treasurer in the neutral site custody exchange fund established under
this
Section.  Each such clerk shall commence the charging and collection of the fee
upon
receipt of written notice from the county board that
a neutral site custody exchange fund has been established.

(Source: P.A. 93-746, eff. 7-15-04.)

55 ILCS 82/20

(55 ILCS 82/20)

Sec. 20.

Grant disbursements.

(a) The county board in a county that has established a neutral site
custody exchange fund shall annually make
grant
disbursements from the fund to one or more qualified not-for-profit
organizations for the purpose of implementing a neutral site custody exchange
program, provided that the expenditure is approved by the chief judge of the
judicial circuit in which the county is located.

(b) Disbursements by the county board shall be made to
one or more qualified not-for-profit organizations that operate within the
county based on each such organization's proportionate share of the total
number of
neutral site custody exchanges handled by all such organizations in that
county
during the year prior to the grant application.

(c) In no event shall the disbursements to any not-for-profit organization
in one year exceed $500,000.  Any amounts collected under Section 15
but not
disbursed in a particular year shall be paid to the county treasurer for the
administration of justice in the county.

(Source: P.A. 91-811, eff. 6-13-00.)

55 ILCS 82/25

(55 ILCS 82/25)

Sec. 25.

Rules.

(a) The county board in a county in which a
neutral site custody exchange fund has been established shall make rules
pertaining
to
the operation and standards to be adhered to by a not-for-profit organization
in that county in order to qualify for a grant under Section 20.  The
rules
shall
provide for the following:

(1) All work performed by the not-for-profit

organization, its staff, and volunteers shall be performed without collecting a fee or charge from the parties involved in a custody exchange.

(2) Each not-for-profit organization receiving a

grant under this Act shall maintain records as required by the county board. The records shall be available for inspection by the office of the Chief Judge and shall demonstrate adherence to applicable requirements.

(b) The county board in a county in which a neutral site custody exchange
fund has been established
may make additional rules necessary for the operation
of this Act in that county.

(Source: P.A. 91-811, eff. 6-13-00.)

55 ILCS 82/99

(55 ILCS 82/99)

Sec. 99.

Effective date.

This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 91-811, eff. 6-13-00.)