Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1326, as amended by PL 1995, c. 502, Pt. F, §16, is further amended to read:

§1326. Time and method of restitution

When restitution is authorized, the time and method of payment or of the performance of the services must be specified. Except when the offender is placed on probation, monetary compensation may be ordered paid to the office of the prosecuting attorney who is prosecuting the case or to the clerk of the court. If the offender is placed on probation, the compensation may be ordered paid to the Department of Corrections. The state agency receiving the restitution shall deposit any money received in the account maintained by the Treasurer of State for deposit of state agency funds, from which funds are daily transferred to an investment account and invested. Interest accrued on that money is the property of and accrues to the State for deposit in the General Fund collected by the state agency must be deposited into the Other Special Revenue - Administration account within the Department of Corrections. The agency receiving the restitution shall make the disbursement to the victim or other authorized claimant as soon as possible after the agency receives the money. If the compensation is paid to the Department of Corrections, the office of the prosecuting attorney who prosecuted the case may request that the Commissioner of Corrections direct that the compensation be forwarded to the office of the prosecuting attorney, which shall make the disbursement to the victim or other authorized claimant as soon as possible.

Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §§1326-A and 1326-B are enacted to read:

§1326-A.__Income withholding order

1.__Restitution required.__When restitution is required of an offender who will not be commencing service of a period of institutional confinement and who is employed, the court shall, at the time of ordering restitution, enter a separate order for income withholding.__The withholding order must direct the employer to deduct from all income due and payable to the offender an amount required by the court to meet the offender's restitution obligation.__The withholding order must include an instruction to the employer that upon receipt of a copy of the withholding order the employer shall:

A.__Immediately begin to withhold the offender's income when the offender is usually paid;