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HB 2542

CHILD SUPPORT-SHARED CARE

104th Regular Session Introduced by Jed Davis

HB 2542 ties shared care to 3,504 hours/year per parent; if both qualify, basic child support is multiplied by 1.5. Bill vetoed by governor; not law unless overridden.

Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 2542

Summary — HB 2542 (Child Support — Shared Physical Care)

Bill number: HB 2542
Primary subject: Child support formula for shared physical care
Statute amended: 750 ILCS 5/505 (Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act)
Introduced: February 4–6, 2025
Legislative status (most recent in record): Passed both chambers, transmitted to Governor, vetoed by Governor on June 25, 2025

Purpose / intent

The bill revises how “shared physical care” is measured for child support purposes and prescribes a specific adjustment to the basic child support obligation when both parents exercise substantial physical care time. The stated aim is to provide a formulaic method for calculating child support where both parents have significant caregiving time.

Key provisions

  • Threshold for shared care:
    • Replaces the existing statutory measure of "146 or more overnights per year" with a threshold of "3,504 hours or more per year" that each parent exercises with the child. (3,504 hours equals 146 days.)
  • Shared-care support calculation:
    • If each parent meets the threshold, the bill requires the basic child support obligation (as set under the existing guideline schedule) to be multiplied by 1.5 to determine the shared-care child support obligation.
  • Statutory location:
    • Amends Section 505 of the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, which governs child support calculations, guidelines, and related procedures.
  • Implementation detail:
    • The bill works within the existing child support guideline computation steps (monthly net incomes, combined income, schedule selection, percentage shares), adding the shared-care multiplier when the new threshold is met.
  • Other guideline material remains in place (department worksheets, standardized net income definitions, etc.), as reflected in the surrounding statutory language.

Who is affected

  • Parents subject to Illinois child support proceedings and orders under the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act.
  • Child support administrators and courts, which would apply the revised threshold and multiplier in support calculations.
  • State agencies (e.g., Department of Healthcare and Family Services) responsible for issuing worksheets, implementing guidelines, and updating forms/calculation tools.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Substance vs. form: The numeric threshold (3,504 hours) is mathematically equivalent to the prior 146 overnights (146 days × 24 hours = 3,504 hours); however, expressing the threshold in hours (instead of "overnights") could change how parenting time is counted (e.g., daytime hours may be included differently), potentially altering which families qualify as shared care.
  • Financial effect: Applying a 1.5 multiplier to the basic obligation increases the calculated shared-care obligation relative to some other shared-care methods; exact dollar effects depend on parents’ incomes and the guideline schedule.
  • Administrative changes: Agencies and courts would need to revise forms, calculators, and guidance to convert parenting time into hours and apply the multiplier consistently.
  • Status: Although the bill passed both chambers and was transmitted to the Governor, the record shows it was vetoed on June 25, 2025; there is no effective date because the veto prevented enactment unless the General Assembly overrides the veto.

Procedural notes

  • The bill was introduced and moved through committee and floor actions, receiving readings and committee reports before passage in the legislature.
  • Because of the Governor’s veto (6/25/2025), the bill did not become law unless an override occurs. Stakeholders should monitor any subsequent override attempts or reintroduction.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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