Section 5241. Income execution for support enforcement  


Latest version.
  • (a) Definitions. As
      used in this section and in section fifty-two hundred forty-two of  this
      chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
        1.  "Order  of  support" means any temporary or final order, judgment,
      agreement or stipulation incorporated by reference in such  judgment  or
      decree  in  a  matrimonial  action  or  family  court proceeding, or any
      foreign support  order,  judgment  or  decree,  registered  pursuant  to
      article  five-B  of  the  family  court act which directs the payment of
      alimony, maintenance, support or child support.
        2. "Debtor" means any person directed to make payments by an order  of
      support.
        3.  "Creditor"  means  any  person  entitled  to  enforce  an order of
      support, including a support collection unit.
        4. "Employer" means any employer, future  employer,  former  employer,
      union or employees' organization.
        5. "Income payor" includes:
        (i)  the  auditor,  comptroller,  trustee or disbursing officer of any
      pension fund, benefit program, policy of insurance or annuity;
        (ii) the state of New York or any political  subdivision  thereof,  or
      the United States; and
        (iii)  any  person,  corporation,  trustee, unincorporated business or
      association, partnership, financial institution, bank, savings and  loan
      association,  credit  union,  stock  purchase  plan,  stock option plan,
      profit sharing plan, stock broker, commodities broker, bond broker, real
      estate broker, insurance company, entity or institution.
        6. "Income" includes any  earned,  unearned,  taxable  or  non-taxable
      income,  benefits, or periodic or lump sum payment due to an individual,
      regardless of source, including wages, salaries,  commissions,  bonuses,
      workers'   compensation,  disability  benefits,  unemployment  insurance
      benefits, payments pursuant to a public or private pension or retirement
      program, federal social  security  benefits  as  defined  in  42  U.S.C.
      section  662(f)  (2),  and  interest,  but  excluding  public assistance
      benefits  paid  pursuant  to  the  social  services  law   and   federal
      supplemental security income.
        7.  "Default"  means  the  failure  of a debtor to remit to a creditor
      three payments on the date due in the full amount directed by the  order
      of  support, or the accumulation of arrears equal to or greater than the
      amount directed to be paid for one month, whichever first occurs.
        8. "Mistake of fact" means an error in the amount of  current  support
      or arrears or in the identity of the debtor or that the order of support
      does not exist or has been vacated.
        9.  "Support  collection  unit"  means  any  support  collection  unit
      established by a social services district pursuant to the provisions  of
      section one hundred eleven-h of the social services law.
        10.  "Date  of  withholding"  means the date on which the income would
      otherwise have been paid or made available to the  debtor  were  it  not
      withheld by the employer or income payor.
        11. "Health insurance benefits" means any medical, dental, optical and
      prescription  drugs  and  health  care  services  or  other  health care
      benefits which may be provided for dependents  through  an  employer  or
      organization,  including  such  employers  or  organizations  which  are
      self-insured.
        12. "Business day" means a day on which state  offices  are  open  for
      regular business.
        (b)  Issuance.  (1)  When  a  debtor  is  in default, an execution for
      support enforcement may be issued by the support collection unit, or  by
      the  sheriff,  the clerk of court or the attorney for the creditor as an
      officer of the court. Where  a  debtor  is  receiving  or  will  receive
    
      income,  an  execution for deductions therefrom in amounts not to exceed
      the limits set forth in subdivision (g) of this section  may  be  served
      upon  an employer or income payor after notice to the debtor. The amount
      of  the  deductions  to  be  withheld  shall  be  sufficient  to  ensure
      compliance with the direction in the order of support, and shall include
      an additional amount to be applied to  the  reduction  of  arrears.  The
      creditor  may  amend  the  execution  before  or  after service upon the
      employer or income payor to reflect additional arrears or payments  made
      by  the debtor after notice pursuant to subdivision (d) of this section,
      or to conform the execution to the facts found upon a determination made
      pursuant to subdivision (e) of this section.
        (2) * (i)  Where  the  court  orders  the  debtor  to  provide  health
      insurance  benefits  for  specified dependents, an execution for medical
      support enforcement may, except as provided for herein, be issued by the
      support collection unit, or by the sheriff, the clerk of  court  or  the
      attorney for the creditor as an officer of the court; provided, however,
      that  when  the court issues an order of child support or combined child
      and spousal support on behalf of persons other than those in receipt  of
      public  assistance  or  in  receipt  of services pursuant to section one
      hundred eleven-g of the social  services  law,  such  medical  execution
      shall be in the form of a separate qualified medical child support order
      as  provided  by  subdivision (f) of section four hundred sixteen of the
      family court act and paragraph (f) of subdivision  one  of  section  two
      hundred  forty of the domestic relations law. Such execution for medical
      support enforcement may require the debtor's employer,  organization  or
      group  health plan administrator to purchase on behalf of the debtor and
      the debtor's dependents such available health insurance  benefits.  Such
      execution  shall  direct the employer, organization or group health plan
      administrator to provide to the dependents for whom  such  benefits  are
      required  to  be  provided or such dependents' custodial parent or legal
      guardian or social services district on behalf of persons  applying  for
      or  in receipt of public assistance any identification cards and benefit
      claim forms and to withhold from  the  debtor's  income  the  employee's
      share  of  the  cost  of  such health insurance benefits, and to provide
      written  confirmation  of  such  enrollment  indicating  the  date  such
      benefits  were  or  become  available  or  that  such  benefits  are not
      available and the reasons therefor to the issuer of  the  execution.  An
      execution  for  medical support enforcement shall not require a debtor's
      employer, organization or group health plan administrator to purchase or
      otherwise acquire health insurance or  health  insurance  benefits  that
      would  not  otherwise be available to the debtor by reason of his or her
      employment or membership. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate  or
      otherwise   hold   any  employer,  organization  or  group  health  plan
      administrator responsible for an  option  exercised  by  the  debtor  in
      selecting medical insurance coverage by an employee or member.
        * NB Effective until October 9, 2009
        * (i)  Where  the  court orders the debtor to provide health insurance
      benefits for specified dependents,  an  execution  for  medical  support
      enforcement may, except as provided for herein, be issued by the support
      collection  unit,  or by the sheriff, the clerk of court or the attorney
      for the creditor as an officer of the  court;  provided,  however,  that
      when  the  court  issues an order of child support or combined child and
      spousal support on behalf of persons other  than  those  in  receipt  of
      public  assistance  or  in  receipt  of services pursuant to section one
      hundred eleven-g of the social  services  law,  such  medical  execution
      shall be in the form of a separate qualified medical child support order
      as  provided  by  subdivision (j) of section four hundred sixteen of the
      family court act and paragraph (h) of subdivision  one  of  section  two
    
      hundred  forty of the domestic relations law. Such execution for medical
      support enforcement may require the debtor's employer,  organization  or
      group  health plan administrator to purchase on behalf of the debtor and
      the  debtor's  dependents such available health insurance benefits. Such
      execution shall direct the employer, organization or group  health  plan
      administrator  to  provide  to the dependents for whom such benefits are
      required to be provided or such dependents' custodial  parent  or  legal
      guardian  or  social services district on behalf of persons applying for
      or in receipt of public assistance any identification cards and  benefit
      claim  forms  and  to  withhold  from the debtor's income the employee's
      share of the cost of such health  insurance  benefits,  and  to  provide
      written  confirmation  of  such  enrollment  indicating  the  date  such
      benefits were  or  become  available  or  that  such  benefits  are  not
      available  and  the  reasons therefor to the issuer of the execution. An
      execution for medical support enforcement shall not require  a  debtor's
      employer, organization or group health plan administrator to purchase or
      otherwise  acquire  health  insurance  or health insurance benefits that
      would not otherwise be available to the debtor by reason of his  or  her
      employment  or membership. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate or
      otherwise  hold  any  employer,  organization  or  group   health   plan
      administrator  responsible  for  an  option  exercised  by the debtor in
      selecting medical insurance coverage by an employee or member.
        * NB Effective October 9, 2009
        (ii) Where the child support order  requires  the  debtor  to  provide
      health insurance benefits for specified dependents, and where the debtor
      provides such coverage and then changes employment, and the new employer
      provides  health care coverage, an amended execution for medical support
      enforcement may be issued by the support  collection  unit,  or  by  the
      sheriff,  the  clerk of the court or the attorney for the creditor as an
      officer of the court without any return to court. The  issuance  of  the
      amended execution shall transfer notice of the requirements of the order
      and the execution to the new employer, organization or group health plan
      administrator,  and shall have the same effect as the original execution
      for medical support issued pursuant to this section  unless  the  debtor
      contests the execution.
        (3)   Any   inconsistent   provisions  of  this  title  or  other  law
      notwithstanding, in any case in which a parent is required  by  a  court
      order  to provide health coverage for a child and the parent is eligible
      for health insurance benefits as defined  in  this  section  through  an
      employer  or organization, including those which are self-insured, doing
      business in the state, such employer or organization must,  in  addition
      to implementing the provisions of a medical support execution:
        (i)  permit  such  parent  to  immediately  enroll  under  such health
      insurance benefit coverage any such dependent who is otherwise  eligible
      for   such   coverage   without   regard   to  any  seasonal  enrollment
      restrictions;
        (ii) if such a parent is enrolled but fails  to  make  application  to
      obtain  coverage  of  such  dependent  child,  immediately  enroll  such
      dependent child under such health benefit coverage upon  application  by
      such  child's  other parent or by the office of temporary and disability
      assistance or social services district furnishing medical assistance  to
      such child, and
        (iii)  not  disenroll,  or eliminate coverage of, such a child unless:
      (A) the employer or organization is provided with  satisfactory  written
      evidence  that  such court order is no longer in effect, or the child is
      or will be  enrolled  in  comparable  health  coverage  through  another
      insurer which will take effect not later than the effective date of such
      disenrollment, or
    
        (B)  such  employer  or  organization  has eliminated health insurance
      coverage for all similarly situated employees.
        (c)  Execution for support enforcement; form. (1) The income execution
      shall contain the caption of the order of support, and specify the  date
      that  the  order  of  support  was  entered,  the  court in which it was
      entered, the amount of the periodic payments  directed,  the  amount  of
      arrears,  the  nature  of  the  default  and the names of the debtor and
      creditor. In addition, the income execution shall include:
        (i) the name and address of the employer or income payor from whom the
      debtor is receiving or will receive income;
        (ii) the amount of the deductions to be made therefrom on  account  of
      current  support,  and  the  amount  to  be  applied to the reduction of
      arrears;
        (iii) a notice that deductions will apply to  current  and  subsequent
      income;
        (iv)  a  notice  that  the  income  execution  will be served upon any
      current or subsequent employer or income payor unless a mistake of  fact
      is  shown within fifteen days, a notice of the manner in which a mistake
      of fact may be asserted, and a notice  that,  if  the  debtor  claims  a
      mistake  of  fact,  a  determination will be made within forty-five days
      after notice to the debtor  as  provided  in  subdivision  (d)  of  this
      section,  and  that  the  debtor will receive written notice whether the
      income execution will be served and of the  time  that  deductions  will
      begin;
        (v)  a  notice  that  the  employer  or  income  payor  must  commence
      deductions no later than the first pay period that occurs after fourteen
      days following the service of the income execution and that payment must
      be remitted within seven business days of the date that the debtor paid;
        (vi) a notice that the  income  execution  is  binding  until  further
      notice;
        (vii) a notice of the substance of the provisions of section fifty-two
      hundred  fifty-two  of  this  chapter  and  that  a violation thereof is
      punishable as a contempt of court by fine or imprisonment or both;
        (viii) a notice of the limitations  upon  deductions  from  wages  set
      forth in subdivision (g) of this section;
        (ix)  a  notice  that an employer must notify the issuer promptly when
      the debtor terminates employment and provide the debtor's  last  address
      and the name and address of the new employer, if known;
        (x)  a  notice  that  when  an employer receives an income withholding
      instrument issued by another state, the employer shall apply the  income
      withholding  law  of  the  state  of  the  debtor's  principal  place of
      employment in determining:
        (A) the employer's fee for processing income withholding;
        (B) the maximum amount permitted to  be  withheld  from  the  debtor's
      income;
        (C)  the  time  periods  within  which the employer must implement the
      income withholding and forward the child support payment;
        (D) the priorities for withholding and allocating income withheld  for
      multiple child support creditors; and
        (E)   any  withholding  terms  or  conditions  not  specified  in  the
      withholding instrument; and
        (xi) a notice that an employer who complies with an income withholding
      notice that is regular on  its  face  shall  not  be  subject  to  civil
      liability to any individual or agency for conduct in compliance with the
      notice.
        (2)  The  medical  support  execution shall contain the caption of the
      order of support and specify the date that  the  order  of  support  was
      entered  and  the  court  in  which it was entered. Such execution shall
    
      include the name and address of the employer or organization  and  shall
      include:
        (i)  a  notice that the debtor has been ordered by the court to enroll
      the dependents  in  any  available  health  insurance  benefits  and  to
      maintain  such  coverage  for  such  dependents as long as such benefits
      remain available;
        (ii) a notice inquiring of the employer or organization as to  whether
      such  health insurance benefits are presently in effect for the eligible
      dependents named in the execution, the date such benefits were or become
      available, or that such benefits  are  not  available  and  the  reasons
      therefor  and directing that the response to such inquiry immediately be
      forwarded to the issuer of such execution;
        (iii) a statement directing the employer or organization  to  purchase
      on  behalf  of  the debtor any available health insurance benefits to be
      made available to the debtor's dependents as directed by the  execution,
      including  the  enrollment  of  such eligible dependents in such benefit
      plans and the provision to the dependents or such dependents'  custodial
      parent  or  legal  guardian  or  social  services  district on behalf of
      persons  applying  for  or  in  receipt  of  public  assistance  of  any
      identification cards and benefit claim forms;
        (iv) a statement directing the employer or organization to deduct from
      the  debtor's  income  such  amount  which  is the debtor's share of the
      premium, if any, for such health insurance benefits for such  dependents
      who  are  otherwise  eligible  for  such  coverage without regard to any
      seasonal enrollment restrictions;
        (v) a notice  that  the  debtor's  employer  must  notify  the  issuer
      promptly  at  any  time  the  debtor  terminates  or changes such health
      insurance benefits;
        (vi) a statement that the debtor's employer or organization shall  not
      be  required to purchase or otherwise acquire health insurance or health
      insurance benefits for such  dependents  that  would  not  otherwise  be
      available to the debtor by reason of his employment or membership;
        (vii)  a  statement  that failure to enroll the eligible dependents in
      such health insurance plan or benefits or failure  to  deduct  from  the
      debtor's  income  the  debtor's  share  of  the premium for such plan or
      benefits shall make such employer or organization jointly and  severally
      liable  for  all medical expenses incurred on the behalf of the debtor's
      dependents named in the execution  while  such  dependents  are  not  so
      enrolled to the extent of the health insurance benefits that should have
      been provided under the execution;
        (viii)  the  name and last known mailing address of the debtor and the
      name and mailing address of the dependents; provided however,  that  the
      name   and  mailing  address  of  a  social  services  official  may  be
      substituted on behalf of such dependents;
        (ix) a reasonable description of the type of coverage to  be  provided
      to each dependent, or the manner in which such type of coverage is to be
      determined;
        (x) the period to which such execution applies; and
        (xi)  a statement that the debtor's employer or organization shall not
      be required to provide any  type  or  form  of  benefit  or  option  not
      otherwise  provided  under  the  group  health plan except to the extent
      necessary to meet the requirements of a law relating  to  medical  child
      support  described  in section one thousand three hundred ninety-six-g-1
      of title forty-two of the United States Code.
        (d) Notice to debtor. The creditor shall serve a copy of the execution
      upon the debtor by  regular  mail  to  the  debtor  at  his  last  known
      residence  or  such other place where he is likely to receive notice, or
      in the same manner as a summons may be served.
    
        (e) Determination of mistake of fact. Where  the  execution  has  been
      issued  by  the support collection unit, the debtor may assert a mistake
      of fact and shall have an opportunity to make a submission in support of
      the objection within fifteen  days  from  service  of  a  copy  thereof.
      Thereafter,  the agency shall determine the merits of the objection, and
      shall notify the debtor of  its  determination  within  forty-five  days
      after  notice  to  the  debtor  as  provided  in subdivision (d) of this
      section. If the objection is disallowed, the debtor  shall  be  notified
      that  the  income  execution  will  be  served on the employer or income
      payor, and of the time that deductions  will  begin.  Where  the  income
      execution  has been issued by an attorney as officer of the court, or by
      the sheriff, or by the clerk of the  court,  the  debtor  may  assert  a
      mistake  of  fact  within fifteen days from service of a copy thereof by
      application  to  the  supreme  court  or  to  the  family  court  having
      jurisdiction  in  accordance  with section four hundred sixty-one of the
      family court act. If application is  made  to  the  family  court,  such
      application  shall be by petition on notice to the creditor and it shall
      be heard and determined in accordance with  the  provisions  of  section
      four  hundred  thirty-nine  of the family court act, and a determination
      thereof shall be made, and the debtor notified thereof within forty-five
      days of the application. If application is made  to  the  supreme  court
      such  application shall be by order to show cause or motion on notice to
      the creditor in the action in which the order or judgement sought to  be
      enforced  was entered and a determination thereof shall be made, and the
      debtor notified thereof within forty-five days of the application.
        (f) Levy. If a debtor fails to show mistake  of  fact  within  fifteen
      days,  or  after  a  determination  pursuant  to subdivision (e) of this
      section has been made, or  if  the  creditor  is  unable  to  serve  the
      execution  upon  the  debtor, the creditor may levy upon the income that
      the debtor is receiving or will receive by serving  the  execution  upon
      the  employer or income payor personally in the same manner as a summons
      or by regular mail, except that  such  service  shall  not  be  made  by
      delivery  to a person authorized to receive service of summons solely by
      a designation filed pursuant to a provision of law other than rule 318.
        (g) Deduction from income. (1) An employer or income payor served with
      an income  execution  shall  commence  deductions  from  income  due  or
      thereafter  due  to  the  debtor no later than the first pay period that
      occurs fourteen days after service of the  execution,  and  shall  remit
      payments to the creditor within seven business days of the date that the
      debtor  is  paid.  Each  payment remitted by an employer or income payor
      shall include, in addition to the identity and social security number of
      the debtor, the date and amount of  each  withholding  of  the  debtor's
      income  included in the payment. If the money due to the debtor consists
      of  salary  or  wages  and  his  or  her  employment  is  terminated  by
      resignation or dismissal at any time after service of the execution, the
      levy  shall  thereafter  be  ineffective,  and  the  execution  shall be
      returned, unless the debtor is reinstated or re-employed  within  ninety
      days after such termination. An employer must notify the issuer promptly
      when  the  debtor  terminates  employment  and provide the debtor's last
      address and name and address of the new employer, if  known.  Where  the
      income  is  compensation  paid  or  payable  to  the debtor for personal
      services, the amount of the deductions to be withheld shall  not  exceed
      the following:
        (i) Where a debtor is currently supporting a spouse or dependent child
      other  than  the  creditor,  the amount of the deductions to be withheld
      shall not exceed fifty percent of the earnings of the  debtor  remaining
      after  the  deduction  therefrom  of  any  amounts required by law to be
      withheld ("disposable earnings"),  except  that  if  any  part  of  such
    
      deduction  is to be applied to the reduction of arrears which shall have
      accrued more than twelve weeks prior to the beginning of  the  week  for
      which  such earnings are payable, the amount of such deduction shall not
      exceed fifty-five percent of disposable earnings.
        (ii)  Where a debtor is not currently supporting a spouse or dependent
      child other than the creditor,  the  amount  of  the  deductions  to  be
      withheld  shall  not  exceed sixty percent of the earnings of the debtor
      remaining after the deduction therefrom of any amounts required  by  law
      to  be withheld ("disposable earnings"), except that if any part of such
      deduction is to be applied to the reduction of arrears which shall  have
      accrued  more  than  twelve weeks prior to the beginning of the week for
      which such earnings are payable, the amount of such deduction shall  not
      exceed sixty-five percent of disposable earnings.
        (2) (A) An employer or income payor served with an income execution in
      accordance with paragraph one of this subdivision shall be liable to the
      creditor  for  failure to deduct the amounts specified. The creditor may
      commence a proceeding against the employer or income payor  for  accrued
      deductions, together with interest and reasonable attorney's fees.
        (B)  An  employer  or  income payor served with an income execution in
      accordance with paragraph one of this subdivision shall be liable to the
      creditor and the debtor for failure to remit any amounts which have been
      deducted as directed by the income execution. Either party may  commence
      a   proceeding   against  the  employer  or  income  payor  for  accrued
      deductions, together with interest and reasonable attorney's fees.
        (C) The actions of the  employer  or  income  payor  in  deducting  or
      failing  to  deduct  amounts  specified by an income execution shall not
      relieve the debtor of the underlying obligation of support.
        (D) In addition  to  the  remedies  herein  provided  and  as  may  be
      otherwise authorized by law, upon a finding by the family court that the
      employer  or  income  payor  failed  to  deduct  or  remit deductions as
      directed in the income execution, the court shall issue to the  employer
      or income payor an order directing compliance and may direct the payment
      of  a  civil  penalty  not  to exceed five hundred dollars for the first
      instance and one thousand  dollars  per  instance  for  the  second  and
      subsequent  instances  of  employer  or  income payor noncompliance. The
      penalty shall be paid to the creditor and may be enforced  in  the  same
      manner as a civil judgment or in any other manner permitted by law.
        (3) If an employer, organization or group health plan administrator is
      served with an execution for medical support enforcement, such employer,
      organization  or  group health plan administrator shall: (i) purchase on
      behalf of the debtor any health insurance benefits  which  may  be  made
      available  to  the  debtor's  dependents  as  ordered  by the execution,
      including the immediate enrollment of such eligible dependents  in  such
      benefit  plans;  (ii)  provide the dependents for whom such benefits are
      required, or a social services official substituted for such dependents,
      identification cards and benefit claim forms; (iii) commence  deductions
      from  income due or thereafter due to the debtor of such amount which is
      the debtor's share of the premium, if any,  for  such  health  insurance
      benefits,  provided,  however,  that  such  deduction when combined with
      deductions for support does not exceed  the  limitations  set  forth  in
      paragraph  one  of  this subdivision and is consistent with the priority
      provisions set forth in  subdivision  (h)  of  this  section;  and  (iv)
      provide  a  confirmation  of  such  enrollment  indicating the date such
      benefits were  or  become  available  or  that  such  benefits  are  not
      available  and  the  reasons  therefor  to  the issuer of the execution.
      Except as otherwise provided by law, nothing herein shall be  deemed  to
      obligate  an  employer  or  organization  to  maintain  or  continue  an
      employee's or member's health insurance benefits.
    
        (4) If such employer, organization or group health plan  administrator
      shall  fail  to so enroll such eligible dependents or to deduct from the
      debtor's income the  debtor's  share  of  the  premium,  such  employer,
      organization  or  group  health  plan administrator shall be jointly and
      severally  liable  for  all  medical  expenses incurred on behalf of the
      debtor's dependents named in the execution while such dependents are not
      so enrolled to the extent of the insurance  benefits  that  should  have
      been provided under such execution. Except as otherwise provided by law,
      nothing  herein shall be deemed to obligate an employer, organization or
      group health plan administrator to maintain or continue an employee's or
      member's health insurance benefits.
        * (h) Priority. A levy pursuant to this section or an income deduction
      order pursuant to section 5242 of this chapter shall take priority  over
      any other assignment, levy or process. If an employer or income payor is
      served with more than one execution pursuant to this section, or with an
      execution pursuant to this section and also an order pursuant to section
      5242 of this chapter, and if the combined total amount of the deductions
      to  be  withheld exceeds the limits set forth in subdivision (g) of this
      section, the employer or income payor shall withhold the maximum  amount
      permitted thereby and pay to each creditor that proportion thereof which
      such  creditor's  claim  bears  to  the  combined  total. Any additional
      deduction authorized by subdivision (g) of this section to be applied to
      the reduction of arrears shall be applied to such arrears in  proportion
      to  the  amount  of  arrears due to each creditor. Deductions to satisfy
      support obligations, including any additional deductions  authorized  by
      subdivision (g) of this section, shall have priority over deductions for
      the debtor's share of health insurance premiums.
        * NB Effective until October 9, 2009
        * (h) Priority. A levy pursuant to this section or an income deduction
      order  pursuant to section 5242 of this chapter shall take priority over
      any other assignment, levy or process. If an employer or income payor is
      served with more than one execution pursuant to this section, or with an
      execution pursuant to this section and also an order pursuant to section
      5242 of this chapter, and if the combined total amount of the deductions
      to be withheld exceeds the limits set forth in subdivision (g)  of  this
      section,  the employer or income payor shall withhold the maximum amount
      permitted thereby and pay to each creditor that proportion thereof which
      such creditor's claim  bears  to  the  combined  total.  Any  additional
      deduction authorized by subdivision (g) of this section to be applied to
      the  reduction of arrears shall be applied to such arrears in proportion
      to the amount of arrears due to each  creditor.  Deductions  to  satisfy
      current  support obligations shall have priority over deductions for the
      debtor's share of health insurance premiums which  shall  have  priority
      over  any  additional  deduction  authorized  by subdivision (g) of this
      section.
        * NB Effective October 9, 2009
        (i) Levy upon money payable by the state. A levy  upon  money  payable
      directly  by  a  department of the state, or by an institution under its
      jurisdiction, shall be made by serving the  income  execution  upon  the
      head  of  the  department,  or  upon  a person designated by him, at the
      office of the department in Albany; a levy upon money  payable  directly
      upon  the  state  comptroller's  warrant,  or directly by a state board,
      commission, body or agency which is not within  any  department  of  the
      state,  shall be made by serving the execution upon the state department
      of audit and control at its office in Albany. Service at the office of a
      department or any agency or institution of the state in  Albany  may  be
      made by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested.