§ 23-3102 — Definitions

As used in the income withholding act:
(a) "Arrearage" means the total amount of unpaid support which is due and unpaid under an order for support, based upon the due date specified in the order for support or, if no specific date is stated in the order, the last day of the month in which the payment is to be made. If the order for support includes a judgment for reimbursement, an arrearage equal to or greater than the amount of support payable for one month exists on the date the order for support is entered.
(b) "Business day" means a day on which state offices in Kansas are open for regular business.
(c) "Health benefit plan" means any benefit plan, other than public assistance, which is able to provide hospital, surgical, medical, dental or any other health care or benefits for a child, whether through insurance or otherwise, and which is available through a parent's employment or other group plan.
(d) "Income" means any form of payment to an individual, regardless of source, including, but not limited to, wages, salary, trust, royalty, commission, bonus, compensation as an independent contractor, annuity and retirement benefits, workers compensation and any other periodic payments made by any person, private entity or federal, state or local government or any agency or instrumentality thereof. "Income" does not include: (1) Any amounts required by law to be withheld, other than creditor claims, including, but not limited to, federal and state taxes, social security tax and other retirement and disability contributions; (2) any amounts exempted by federal law; (3) public assistance payments; and (4) unemployment insurance benefits except to the extent otherwise provided by law. Any other state or local laws which limit or exempt income or the amount or percentage of income that can be withheld shall not apply. Workers compensation shall be considered income only for the purposes of child support and not for the purposes of maintenance. Unemployment insurance benefits shall be considered income for purposes of this act when such funds are sought by the secretary of the department for children and families, or the secretary's designee, in administration of the title IV-D program.
(e) "Income withholding agency" means the department for children and families.
(f) "Income withholding order" means an order issued under this act which requires a payor to withhold income to satisfy an order for support or to defray an arrearage.
(g) "Lump sum payment" means income in the form of a bonus, commission, an amount paid in lieu of vacation or other leave time, or any other payment to an obligor. "Lump sum payment" does not include payments made on regular paydays as compensation, reimbursement of expenses incurred by the obligor on behalf of the payor, or an amount paid as severance pay on termination of employment.
(h) "Medical child support order" means an order requiring a parent to provide coverage for a child under a health benefit plan and, where the context requires, may include an order requiring a payor to enroll a child in a health benefit plan.
(i) "Medical withholding order" means an income withholding order which requires an employer, sponsor or other administrator of a health benefit plan to enroll a child under the health coverage of a parent.
(j) "Nonparticipating parent" means, if one parent is a participating parent as defined in this section, the other parent.
(k) "Obligee" means the person or entity to whom a duty of support is owed.
(l) "Obligor" means any person who owes a duty to make payments or provide health benefit coverage under an order for support.
(m) "Order for support" means any order of a court, or of an administrative agency authorized by law to issue such an order, which provides for payment of funds for the support of a child, or for maintenance of a spouse or ex-spouse, and includes an order which provides for modification or resumption of a previously existing order; payment of uninsured medical expenses; payment of an arrearage accrued under a previously existing order; a reimbursement order, including, but not limited to, an order established pursuant to K.S.A. 39-718a or 39-718b, and amendments thereto; an order established pursuant to K.S.A. 23-451 et seq., and amendments thereto; or a medical child support order.
(n) "Participating parent" means a parent who is eligible for single coverage under a health benefit plan as defined in this section, regardless of the type of coverage actually in effect, if any.
(o) "Payor" means any person or entity owing income to an obligor or any self-employed obligor and includes, with respect to a medical child support order, the sponsor or administrator of a health benefit plan.
(p) "Periodic payment" means wages, salary, royalties, trust payments, annuity payments, retirement payments and any other regularly occurring, scheduled payment to an obligor.
(q) "Public office" means any elected or appointed official of the state or any political subdivision or agency of the state, or any subcontractor thereof, who is or may become responsible by law for enforcement of, or who is or may become authorized to enforce, an order for support, including, but not limited to, the Kansas department for children and families, court trustees, county or district attorneys and other subcontractors.
(r) "Title IV-D" means part D of title IV of the federal social security act, 42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq., and amendments thereto, as in effect on December 31, 2009. "Title IV-D cases" means those cases required by title IV-D to be processed by the Kansas department for children and families under the state's plan for providing title IV-D services.

Legislative History

L. 1985, ch. 115, § 2; L. 1990, ch. 117, § 1; L. 1994, ch. 301, § 20; L. 1997, ch. 182, § 23; L. 2001, ch. 195, § 1; L. 2013, ch. 124, § 7; L. 2014, ch. 115, § 38; July 1.