(a)The Comptroller, with the approval of the State Treasurer, may provide by rule or regulation for the direct deposit of any payment lawfully payable from the State Treasury and in accordance with federal banking regulations including but not limited to payments to (i) persons paid from personal services, (ii) persons receiving benefit payments from the Comptroller under the State pension systems, (iii) individuals who receive assistance under Articles III, IV, and VI of the Illinois Public Aid Code, (iv) providers of services under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act, (v) providers of community-based mental health services, and (vi) providers of services under programs administered by the State Board of Education, in the accounts of those persons or entit
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(a) The Comptroller, with the approval of the State Treasurer, may provide by rule or regulation for the direct deposit of any payment lawfully payable from the State Treasury and in accordance with federal banking regulations including but not limited to payments to (i) persons paid from personal services, (ii) persons receiving benefit payments from the Comptroller under the State pension systems, (iii) individuals who receive assistance under Articles III, IV, and VI of the Illinois Public Aid Code, (iv) providers of services under the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act, (v) providers of community-based mental health services, and (vi) providers of services under programs administered by the State Board of Education, in the accounts of those persons or entities maintained at a bank, savings and loan association, or credit union, where authorized by the payee. The Comptroller also may deposit public aid payments for individuals who receive assistance under Articles III, IV, VI, and X of the Illinois Public Aid Code directly into an electronic benefits transfer account in a financial institution approved by the State Treasurer as prescribed by the Illinois Department of Human Services and in accordance with the rules and regulations of that Department and the rules and regulations adopted by the Comptroller and the State Treasurer. The Comptroller, with the approval of the State Treasurer, may provide by rule for the electronic direct deposit of payments to public agencies and any other payee of the State. The electronic direct deposits may be made to the designated account in those financial institutions specified in this Section for the direct deposit of payments. Within 6 months after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1994, the Comptroller shall establish a pilot program for the electronic direct deposit of payments to local school districts, municipalities, and units of local government. The payments may be made without the use of the voucher-warrant system, provided that documentation of approval by the Treasurer of each group of payments made by direct deposit shall be retained by the Comptroller. The form and method of the Treasurer's approval shall be established by the rules or regulations adopted by the Comptroller under this Section. (b) Except as provided in subsection (b-5), all State payments for an employee's payroll or an employee's expense reimbursement must be made through direct deposit. It is the responsibility of the paying State agency to ensure compliance with this mandate. If a State agency pays an employee's payroll or an employee's expense reimbursement without using direct deposit, the Comptroller may charge that employee a processing fee of $2.50 per paper warrant. The processing fee may be withheld from the employee's payment or reimbursement. The amount collected from the fee shall be deposited into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund. (b-5) If an employee wants his or her payments deposited into a secure check account, the employee must submit a direct deposit form to the paying State agency for his or her payroll or to the Comptroller for his or her expense reimbursements. Upon acceptance of the direct deposit form, the Comptroller shall disburse those funds to the secure check account. For the purposes of this Section, "secure check account" means an account established with a financial institution for the employee that allows the dispensing of the funds in the account through a third party who dispenses to the employee a paper check. (c) All State payments to a vendor that exceed the allowable limit of paper warrants in a fiscal year, by the same agency, must be made through direct deposit. It is the responsibility of the paying State agency to ensure compliance with this mandate. If a State agency pays a vendor more times than the allowable limit in a single fiscal year without using direct deposit, the Comptroller may charge the vendor a processing fee of $2.50 per paper warrant. The processing fee may be withheld from the vendor's payment. The amount collected from the processing fee shall be deposited into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund. The Office of the Comptroller shall define "allowable limit" in the Comptroller's Statewide Accounting Management System (SAMS) manual, except that the allowable limit shall not be less than 30 paper warrants. The Office of the Comptroller shall also provide reasonable notice to all State agencies of the allowable limit of paper warrants. (c-1) All State payments to an entity from a payroll or retirement voluntary deduction must be made through direct deposit. If an entity receives a payment from a payroll or retirement voluntary deduction without using direct deposit, the Comptroller may charge the entity a processing fee of $2.50 per paper warrant. The processing fee may be withheld from the entity's payment or billed to the entity at a later date. The amount collected from the processing fee shall be deposited into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund. The Comptroller shall provide reasonable notice to all entities impacted by this requirement. Any new entities that receive a payroll or retirement voluntary deduction must sign up for direct deposit during the application process. (c-2) The detail information, such as names, identifiers, and amounts, associated with a State payment to an entity from a payroll or retirement voluntary deduction must be retrieved by the entity from the Comptroller's designated Internet website or an electronic alternative approved by the Comptroller. If the entity requires the Comptroller to mail the detail information, the Comptroller may charge the entity a processing fee up to $25.00 per mailing. Any processing fee will be billed to the entity at a later date. The amount collected from the processing fee shall be deposited into the Comptroller's Administrative Fund. The Comptroller shall provide reasonable notice to all entities impacted by this requirement. (d) State employees covered by provisions in collective bargaining agreements that do not require direct deposit of paychecks are exempt from this mandate. No later than 60 days after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, all State agencies must provide to the Office of the Comptroller a list of employees that are exempt under this subsection (d) from the direct deposit mandate. In addition, a State employee or vendor may file a hardship petition with the Office of the Comptroller requesting an exemption from the direct deposit mandate under this Section. A hardship petition shall be made available for download on the Comptroller's official Internet website. (e) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the direct deposit of State payments under this Section for an employee's payroll, an employee's expense reimbursement, or a State vendor's payment does not authorize the State to automatically withdraw funds from those accounts. (f) For the purposes of this Section, "vendor" means a non-governmental entity with a taxpayer identification number issued by the Social Security Administration or Internal Revenue Service that receives payments through the Comptroller's commercial system. The term does not include State agencies. (g) The requirements of this Section do not apply to the legislative or judicial branches of State government.