DC City Council to Vote on Bill That Limits Wage Garnishment

The District of Columbia City Council will vote on December 18, 2018, on a bill that out limit wage garnishments. The bill is B22-0572, also known as the Wage Garnishment Fairness Amendment Act of 2017. 

According to the bill’s legislative summary, it would “establish limits on the amount that can be garnished from an individual’s wages by factoring in gross wages and disposable wages. It prevents wage garnishment from individuals making less than a living wage and requires notice to be provided to those whose wages will be garnished.”

The bill was originally introduced on November 7, 2018 and was immediately referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. A public hearing on the bill was held in June of this year where witnesses from both sides of the aisle -- consumers, consumer advocates, and industry members -- spoke or provided written statements. A committee report filed in November mentioned that the debt most likely to result in garnishment is credit card debt.

According to the Fiscal Impact Statement, the bill “will reduce District revenues by $140,000 in fiscal year 2019 and $560,000 over the four-year financial plan.”