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[ Engrossed ] | [ House Amendment 001 ] |
91_HB0531 LRB9100752KSgcA 1 AN ACT concerning child support, amending a named Act. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by 5 changing Sections 7-701, 7-702, 7-702.1, 7-703, and 7-705 and 6 by adding Sections 7-702.2, 7-705.1, and 7-706.1 as follows: 7 (625 ILCS 5/7-701) 8 Sec. 7-701. Findings and purpose. The General Assembly 9 finds that the timely receipt of adequate financial support 10 has the effect of reducing poverty and State expenditures for 11 welfare dependency among children, and that the timely 12 payment of adequate child support demonstrates financial 13 responsibility. Further, the General Assembly finds that the 14 State has a compelling interest in ensuring that drivers 15 within the State demonstrate financial responsibility, 16 including family financial responsibility, in order to safely 17 own and operate a motor vehicle. To this end, the Department 18 of Public Aid and the Secretary of State areisauthorized to 19 establish systemsa systemto suspend driver's licenses for 20 failure to comply with court orders of support. 21 (Source: P.A. 89-92, eff. 7-1-96.) 22 (625 ILCS 5/7-702) 23 Sec. 7-702. Suspension of driver's license for failure 24 to pay child support. 25 (a) The Secretary of State shall suspend the driver's 26 license issued to an obligor upon receiving an authenticated 27 report provided for in subsection (a) of Section 7-703, that 28 the person is 90 days or more delinquent in court ordered 29 child support payments or has been adjudicated in arrears in 30 an amount equal to 90 days obligation or more, and has been -2- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 found in contempt by the court for failure to pay the 2 support. 3 (b) The Department of Public Aid shall request the 4 Secretary of State to suspend the driver's license issued to 5 an obligor upon receiving an authenticated report from the 6 clerk of the circuit court, as provided in subsection (b) of 7 Section 7-703, that an obligor is 90 days or more delinquent 8 in court ordered child support payments or has been 9 adjudicated in arrears in an amount equal to 90 days 10 obligation or more but has not been found in contempt of 11 court. Upon receiving a request from the Department of 12 Public Aid to suspend the driver's license of an obligor, the 13 Secretary of State shall suspend the obligor's driver's 14 license. 15 (Source: P.A. 89-92, eff. 7-1-96.) 16 (625 ILCS 5/7-702.1) 17 Sec. 7-702.1. Family financial responsibility driving 18 permits. Following the entry of an order that an obligor has 19 been found in contempt by the court for failure to pay court 20 ordered child support payments or upon a motion by the 21 obligor who has had his or her driver's license suspended 22 pursuant to subsection (b) of Section 7-702, the court may 23 enter an order directing the Secretary of State to issue a 24 family financial responsibility driving permit for the 25 purpose of providing the obligor the privilege of operating a 26 motor vehicle between the obligor's residence and place of 27 employment, or within the scope of employment related duties; 28 or for the purpose of providing transportation for the 29 obligor or a household member to receive alcohol treatment, 30 other drug treatment, or medical care. The court may enter 31 an order directing the issuance of a permit only if the 32 obligor has proven to the satisfaction of the court that no 33 alternative means of transportation are reasonably available -3- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 for the above stated purposes. No permit shall be issued to 2 a person under the age of 16 years who possesses an 3 instruction permit. 4 Upon entry of an order granting the issuance of a permit 5 to an obligor, the court shall report this finding to the 6 Secretary of State on a form prescribed by the Secretary. 7 This form shall state whether the permit has been granted for 8 employment or medical purposes and the specific days and 9 hours for which limited driving privileges have been granted. 10 The family financial responsibility driving permit shall 11 be subject to cancellation, invalidation, suspension, and 12 revocation by the Secretary of State in the same manner and 13 for the same reasons as a driver's license may be cancelled, 14 invalidated, suspended, or revoked. 15 The Secretary of State shall, upon receipt of a certified 16 court order from the court of jurisdiction, issue a family 17 financial responsibility driving permit. In order for this 18 permit to be issued, an individual's driving privileges must 19 be valid except for the family financial responsibility 20 suspension. This permit shall be valid only for employment 21 and medical purposes as set forth above. The permit shall 22 state the days and hours for which limited driving privileges 23 have been granted. 24 Any submitted court order that contains insufficient data 25 or fails to comply with any provision of this Code shall not 26 be used for issuance of the permit or entered to the 27 individual's driving record but shall be returned to the 28 court of jurisdiction indicating why the permit cannot be 29 issued at that time. The Secretary of State shall also send 30 notice of the return of the court order to the individual 31 requesting the permit. 32 (Source: P.A. 89-92, eff. 7-1-96; 90-369, eff. 1-1-98.) 33 (625 ILCS 5/7-702.2 new) -4- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 Sec. 7-702.2. Written agreement to pay past-due support. 2 (a) An obligor who is presently unable to pay all 3 past-due support and is subject to having his or her license 4 suspended pursuant to Section 7-702 may come into compliance 5 with the court order for support by executing a written 6 payment agreement with the Department of Public Aid and by 7 complying with that agreement. A condition of a written 8 payment agreement must be that the obligor pay the current 9 child support when due. Before a written payment agreement 10 is executed, the obligor shall: 11 (1) Disclose fully to the Department of Public Aid 12 in writing, on a form prescribed by the Department of 13 Public Aid, the obligor's financial circumstances, 14 including income from all sources, assets, liabilities, 15 and work history for the past year and 16 (2) Provide documentation to the Department of 17 Public Aid concerning the obligor's financial 18 circumstances, including a copies of the most recent 19 State and federal income tax returns, both personal and 20 business; a copy of a recent pay stub representative of a 21 current income; and copies of other records that show the 22 obligor's income and the present level of assets held by 23 the obligor. 24 (b) After full disclosure, the Department of Public Aid 25 shall determine the obligor's ability to pay past-due support 26 and request the obligor to execute a written payment 27 agreement consistent with the obligor's ability to pay, not 28 to exceed the court ordered support. 29 (625 ILCS 5/7-703) 30 Sec. 7-703. Courts to report non-payment of court 31 ordered support. 32 (a) The clerk of the circuit court, as provided in 33 subsection (b) of Section 505 of the Illinois Marriage and -5- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 Dissolution of Marriage Act or as provided in Section 15 of 2 the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984, shall forward to the 3 Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary, an 4 authenticated document certifying the court's order 5 suspending the driving privileges of the obligor. For any 6 such certification, the clerk of the court shall charge the 7 obligor a fee of $5 as provided in the Clerks of Courts Act. 8 (b) If an obligor is 90 days or more delinquent in court 9 ordered child support payments or has been adjudicated in 10 arrears in an amount equal to 90 days obligation or more but 11 has not been held in contempt of court, the clerk of the 12 circuit court shall forward to the Department of Public Aid, 13 on a form prescribed by the Department of Public Aid, an 14 authenticated document certifying that an obligor is 90 days 15 or more delinquent in court ordered child support payments or 16 has been adjudicated in arrears in an amount equal to 90 days 17 obligation or more. 18 (Source: P.A. 89-92, eff. 7-1-96; 89-626, eff. 8-9-96.) 19 (625 ILCS 5/7-705) 20 Sec. 7-705. Notice. The Secretary of State, prior to 21 suspending a driver's license under this Chapter, shall serve 22 written notice upon an obligor that the individual's driver's 23 license will be suspended in 60 days from the date on the 24 notice unless the obligor satisfies the court order of 25 support and the circuit clerk notifies the Secretary of State 26 of this compliance. 27 (Source: P.A. 89-92, eff. 7-1-96.) 28 (625 ILCS 5/7-705.1 new) 29 Sec. 7-705.1. Notice of noncompliance of support order. 30 Upon receiving the authenticated report provide for in 31 subsection (b) of Section 7-703, the Department of Public Aid 32 must serve notice upon the obligor of the Department of -6- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 Public Aid's intention to certify the obligor to the 2 Secretary of State as an individual who is not in compliance 3 with an order of support. The notice must inform the obligor 4 that: 5 (a) If the obligor is presently unable to pay all 6 past-due support, the obligor may come into compliance with 7 the support order by executing a written payment agreement 8 with the Department of Public Aid, as provide in Section 9 7-702.2, and by complying with that agreement; 10 (b) The obligor may contest the issue of compliance at 11 an administrative hearing; 12 (c) A request for an administrative hearing must be made 13 in writing and must be received by the Department of Public 14 Aid within 20 days of service; 15 (d) If the obligor requests an administrative hearing 16 within 20 days of service, the Department of Public Aid shall 17 stay the action to certify the obligor to the Secretary of 18 State for noncompliance with an order of support; 19 (e) If the obligor does not timely request a hearing to 20 contest the issue of compliance and does not obtain a written 21 confirmation of compliance from the Department of Public Aid, 22 the Department of Public Aid must certify the obligor to the 23 Secretary of State for noncompliance; 24 (f) If the Department of Public Aid certifies the 25 obligor to the Secretary of State for noncompliance with an 26 order of support, the Secretary of State must suspend any 27 driver's license or instruction permit the obligor holds and 28 the obligor's right to apply for or obtain a driver's license 29 or instruction permit until the obligor comes into compliance 30 with the order of support; 31 (g) If the obligor files a motion to modify support with 32 the court or requests the Department of Public Aid to amend a 33 support obligation established by an administrative decision, 34 the Department of Public Aid shall stay action to certify the -7- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 obligor to the Secretary of State for noncompliance with an 2 order of support; and 3 (h) The obligor can comply with an order of support by 4 doing all of the following: 5 (1) Paying the current support; 6 (2) Paying all past-due support or, if unable to 7 pay all past-due support and a periodic payment for past 8 due support has not been order by the court, by making 9 periodic payments in accordance with a written payment 10 agreement with the Department of Public Aid; and 11 (3) Meeting the obligor's health insurance 12 obligation. 13 The notice must include the address and telephone number 14 of the Department of Public Aid. The Department of Public 15 Aid shall attach a copy of the obligor's order of support to 16 the notice. The notice must be served by certified mail, 17 return receipt requested, by service in hand, or as specified 18 in the Code of Civil Procedure. 19 (625 ILCS 5/7-706.1 new) 20 Sec. 7-706.1. Hearing for compliance with support order. 21 (a) An obligor may request in writing to the Department 22 of Public Aid an administrative hearing to contest the claim 23 of noncompliance with an order of support and his or her 24 subsequent driver's license suspension provided for in 25 subsection (b) of Section 7-702. 26 (b) If a written request for a hearing is received by 27 the Department of Public Aid within 20 days of service of the 28 notice, the Department of Public Aid shall stay the request 29 to the Secretary of State to suspend obligor's driver's 30 license. If a stay is granted, it shall remain in effect 31 until a hearing decision is entered. 32 (c) Upon the obligor's written request, the Department 33 of Public Aid must set a date for a hearing and afford the -8- LRB9100752KSgcA 1 obligor an opportunity for a hearing as early as practical, 2 in either the County of Sangamon or the County of Cook as the 3 obligor may specify. However, both parties may agree that the 4 hearing may be held in some other county. 5 (d) The scope of this hearing is limited to the 6 following issues: 7 (1) Whether the obligator is required to pay child 8 support under an order of support. 9 (2) Whether the obligator is 90 days or more 10 delinquent in court ordered child support payments or has 11 been adjudicated in arrears in an amount equal to 90 days 12 obligation or more. 13 (3) Any additional issues raised by the obligor, 14 including the reasonableness of a payment agreement in 15 light of the obligor's current financial circumstances, 16 to be preserved for appeal. 17 (e) All hearings and hearing procedures shall 18 comply with requirements of the Illinois Constitution and 19 the United States Constitution, so that no person is 20 deprived of due process of law nor denied equal 21 protection of the laws. All hearings shall be held 22 before the Director of Public Aid or before any persons 23 as may be designated by the Director of Public Aid. 24 Appropriate records of the hearings shall be kept. Where 25 a transcript of the hearing is taken, the person 26 requesting the hearing shall have the opportunity to 27 order a copy of the transcript at his or her own expense. 28 (f) The action of the Department of Public Aid 29 resulting in the suspension of any driver's license shall 30 be subject to judicial review in the Circuit Court of 31 Sangamon County or in the Circuit Court of Cook County 32 and subject to the provisions of the Administrative 33 Review Law.