§ 15-29-4. Limitations on withholding. (a) The employer may not withhold more under the medical notice than the lesser of:

(1) The amounts allowed by the Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1673(b);

(2) The amounts allowed by the state of the employee's principal place of employment; or

(3) The amount allowed for health care coverage premiums by the child support order. The federal limit applies to the aggregate disposal weekly earnings (ADWE). ADWE is the net income left after making mandatory deductions such as state, federal and local taxes, social security taxes, and Medicare taxes.

(b) Priority of Withholding. If withholding is required for employee contributions to one or more health care coverage plans under the medical notice and for a support obligation under a separate notice, and available funds are insufficient for withholding for both cash and medical support contributions, the employer must withhold amounts for purposes of cash support and medical support contributions in accordance with the law, if any, of the state of the employee's principal place of employment requiring prioritization between cash and medical support. If the principal place of employment is Rhode Island, cash support shall be a priority followed by medical support contributions.

(c) Duration of withholding. Coverage of a dependent child shall continue until the child is no longer a dependent. The continuation coverage provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, of 1974, 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq., may entitle the child to continuation coverage under the plan. The employer must continue to withhold employee contributions and may not discontinue or eliminate health care coverage for the children unless the employer is provided satisfactory evidence that:

(1) The court or administrative child support order referred to above is no longer in effect; or

(2) The children are or will be enrolled in comparable health care coverage which will take effect no longer than the effective date of dis-enrollment from the plan; or

(3) The employer eliminates family health care coverage for all of its employees.

History of Section. (P.L. 2002, ch. 314, § 3.)