Lyons Helps Pass Child Support Bill
December 3, 1999
Western Springs . . . In an effort to alleviate the problems with the troubled State Disbursement Unit (SDU), the agency responsible for child support disbursements, the Illinois General Assembly, led by State Representative Eileen Lyons (R-Western Springs), passed House Bill 2773 yesterday.
"The system has not been working and we need to make sure it does," said Lyons. "Too many people depend on their child support checks from this system for us to let it fail so miserably."
The bill, passed out of the House Conference Committee and the Senate today, provides guidelines for changing the system. The most significant change included requires the Department of Public Aid (DPA), which runs the SDU, to provide regional training and educational seminars to educate the circuit court clerks and employers throughout the state.
The bill also requires written notice by the DPA and court clerks to be given to those who are responsible for making payments. To further improve the system and get checks out faster, the DPA are also being asked to establish an electronic funds transfer committee.
The SDU was implemented on October 1, 1999 and since then has been plagued with problems. While some recipients of child support have been receiving no checks at all, others have been receiving too many.
Lyons, who is the Minority Spokesperson for the Child Support Enforcement Committee, made sure the bill included deadlines that DPA must meet.
"We must take responsibility for this program," said Lyons of the General Assembly. "These changes we made today should have been included from the beginning. Now we must make sure they are put in place, or more dramatic measures will be necessary."
Lyons said she will be working closely with Joe Lyons, the head of the Child Enforcement Committee, over the legislative break.
# # #