§ 15.25 - Procedures.

§ 15.25 Procedures.

(a) Service of notice.

(1) An authorized person shall send to the designated official a signed notice that includes:

(i) A statement that delinquent support payments equal or exceed the amount of support payable for 2 months under a support order, and a request that an allotment be initiated pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 665.

(ii) A certified copy of the support order.

(iii) The amount of the monthly support payment. Such amount may include arrearages, if a support order specifies the payment of such arrearages. The notice shall indicate how much of the amount payable shall be applied toward liquidation of the arrearages.

(iv) Sufficient information identifying the officer to enable processing by the designated official. The following information is requested:

(A) Full name;

(B) Social Security Number;

(C) Date of birth; and

(D) Duty station location.

(v) The full name and address of the allottee. The allottee shall be an authorized person, the authorized person's designee, or the recipient named in the support order.

(vi) Any limitations on the duration of the support allotment.

(vii) A certificate that the official sending the notice is an authorized person.

(viii) A statement that delinquent support payments are more than 12 weeks in arrears, if appropriate.

(2) The notice shall be accomplished by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or by personal service, upon the appropriate designated official, who shall note the date and time of receipt on the notice.

(3) The notice is effective when it is received in the office of the designated official.

(4) When the information submitted is not sufficient to identify the officer, the notice shall be returned directly to the authorized person with an explanation of the deficiency. However, prior to returning the notice if there is sufficient time, an attempt should be made to inform the authorized person who caused the notice to be served, that it will not be honored unless adequate information is supplied.

(5) Upon receipt of effective notice of delinquent support payments, together with all required supplementary documents and information, the designated official shall identify the officer from whom moneys are due and payable. The allotment shall be established in the amount necessary to comply with the support order and to liquidate arrearages if provided by a support order when the maximum amount to be allotted under this provision, together with any other moneys withheld for support from the officer, does not exceed:

(i) 50 percent of the officer's disposable earnings for any month where the officer asserts by affidavit or other acceptable evidence, that he/she is supporting a spouse and/or dependent child, other than a party in the support order. When the officer submits evidence, copies shall be sent to the authorized person, together with notification that the officer's support claim will be honored.

If the support claim is contested by the authorized person, that authorized person may refer this matter to the appropriate court or other authority for resolution.

(ii) 60 percent of the officer's disposable earnings for any month where the officer fails to assert by affidavit or other acceptable evidence that he/she is supporting a spouse and/or dependent child.

(iii) Regardless of the limitations above, an additional 5 percent of the officer's disposable earnings shall be withheld when it is stated in the notice that the officer is in arrears in an amount equivalent to 12 or more weeks' support.

(b) Disposable earnings. The following moneys are subject to inclusion in computation of the officer's disposable earnings:

(1) Basic pay.

(2) Special pay (including enlistment and reenlistment bonuses).

(3) Accrued leave payments (basic pay portions only).

(4) Aviation career incentive pay.

(5) Incentive pay for Hazardous Duty.

(6) Readjustment pay.

(7) Diving pay.

(8) Sea pay.

(9) Severance pay (including disability severance pay).

(10) Retired pay (including disability retired pay).

(c) Exclusions. In determining the amount of any moneys due from or payable by the United States to any individual, there shall be excluded amounts which are:

(1) Owed by the officer to the United States.

(2) Required by law to be deducted from the remuneration or other payment involved, including, but not limited to:

(i) Amounts withheld from benefits payable under Title II of the Social Security Act where the withholding is required by law.

(ii) Federal employment taxes.

(3) Properly withheld for federal and state income tax purposes if the withholding of the amounts is authorized by law and if amounts withheld are not greater than would be the case if the individual claimed all dependents to which he/she were entitled. The withholding of additional amounts pursuant to section 3402(i) of Title 26 of the United States Code may be permitted only when the officer presents evidence of a tax obligation which supports the additional withholding.

(4) Deducted for servicemen's Group Life Insurance coverage.

(5) Advances of pay that may be due and payable by the officer at some future date.

(d) Officer notification.

(1) As soon as possible, but not later than 15 calendar days after the date of receipt of notice, the designated official shall send to the officer, at his/her duty station or last known address, written notice:

(i) That notice has been received from an authorized person, including a copy of the documents submitted;

(ii) Of the maximum limitations set forth, with a request that the officer submit supporting affidavits or other documentation necessary for determining the applicable percentage limitation;

(iii) That the officer may submit supporting affidavits or other documentation as evidence that the information contained in the notice is in error;

(iv) That by submitting supporting affidavits or other necessary documentation, the officer consents to the disclosure of such information to the party requesting the support allotment;

(v) Of the amount or percentage that will be deducted if the officer fails to submit the documentation necessary to enable the designated official to respond to the notice within the prescribed time limits;

(vi) That legal counsel will be provided by the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Administration; and

(vii) Of the date that the allotment is scheduled to begin.

(2) The officer shall be provided with the following:

(i) A consultation in person with an attorney from the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Administration, to discuss the legal and other factors involved with the officer's support obligation and his/her failures to make payment.

(ii) Copies of any other documents submitted with the notice.

(3) The Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Administration will make every effort to see that the officer receives a consultation concerning the support obligation and the consequences of failure to make payments within 30 days of the notice required in paragraph (d)(1). In the event such consultation is not possible, despite continuing good faith efforts to arrange a consultation, no action shall be taken to require an allotment from the pay and allowances of any NOAA Corps Officer until 30 days have elapsed after the notice described in paragraph (d)(1) is given to the affected officer.

(4) If, within 30 days of the date of the notice, the officer has furnished the designated official affidavits or other documentation showing the information in the notice to be in error, the designated official shall consider the officer's response. The designated official may return to the authorized person, without action, the notice for a statutorily required support allotment together with the member's affidavit and other documentation, if the member submits substantial proof of error, such as:

(i) The support payments are not delinquent.

(ii) The underlying support order in the notice has been amended, superseded, or set aside.

(e) Absence of funds.

(1) When notice is served and the identified officer is found not to be entitled to moneys due from or payable by NOAA, the designated official shall return the notice to the authorized person, and advise that no moneys are due from or payable by NOAA to the named individual.

(2) Where it appears that moneys are only temporarily exhausted or otherwise unavailable, the authorized person shall be fully advised as to why, and for how long, the money will be unavailable.

(3) In instances where the officer separates from active duty service, the authorized person shall be informed by the Office of Commissioned Personnel, NOAA Corps that the allotment is discontinued.

(4) Payment of statutorily required allotments shall be enforced over other voluntary deductions and allotments when the gross amount of pay and allowances is not sufficient to permit all authorized deductions and collections.

(f) Allotment of funds.

(1) The authorized person or allottee shall notify the designated official promptly if the operative court order upon which the allotment is based is vacated, modified, or set aside. The designated official shall also be notified of any events affecting the allottee's eligibility to receive the allotment, such as the former spouse's remarriage, if a part of the payment is for spousal support, and notice of a change in eligibility for child support payments under circumstances of death, emancipation, adoption, or attainment of majority of a child whose support is provided through the allotment.

(2) An allotment established under this Directive shall be adjusted or discontinued upon notice from the authorized person.

(3) Neither the Department of Commerce nor any officer or employee thereof, shall be liable for any payment made from moneys due from, or payable by, the Department of Commerce to any individuals pursuant to notice regular on its face, if such payment is made in accordance with this subpart. If a designated official receives notice based on support which, on its face, appears to conform to the law of the jurisdiction from which it was issued, the designated official shall not be required to ascertain whether the authority that issued the orde had obtained personal jurisdiction over the member.

(4) Effective date of allotment. The allotment shall start with the first pay period beginning after the officer has had a consultation with an attorney from the Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Administration but not later than the first pay period beginning after 30 days have elapsed since the notice required in paragraph (d)(1) of this section is given to the affected officer. The Department of Commerce shall not be required to vary its normal NOAA Corps allotment payment cycle to comply with the notice.

(g) Designated official. Notice should be sent to: The Assistant General Counsel for Administration, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230, [phone].