§ 54-k. Assistance to counties. There shall be apportioned and paid to the several counties outside the city of New York, from moneys appropriated, the amount of seventeen million dollars ($17,000,000) on or before July thirty-first, two thousand three. Each county outside the city of New York shall receive an amount that is in direct proportion to each county's percentage of the population, as determined by the two thousand decennial federal census, as such county bears to the total population of all counties outside the city of New York.