Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB393 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0393
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 393
8	8	I4 5lr2595
9	9	CF SB 31
10	10	By: Delegate Queen
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Economic Matters
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Commercial Law – Attachment of Wages – Exemptions 2
19	19	(Exempt Income Protection Act) 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of altering the amount of wages of a judgment debtor that are exempt 4
22	22	from attachment; requiring an employer served with an attachment to make certain 5
23	23	notifications to a judgment debtor; and generally relating to exemptions from 6
24	24	attachment. 7
25	25
26	26	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
27	27	Article – Commercial Law 9
28	28	Section 15–601.1 and 15–603 10
29	29	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
30	30	(2013 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
31	31
32	32	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
33	33	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
34	34
35	35	Article – Commercial Law 15
36	36
37	37	15–601.1. 16
38	38
39	39	(a) In this section, “disposable wages” means the part of wages that remain after 17
40	40	deduction of any amount required to be withheld by law. 18
41	41
42	42	(b) The following are exempt from attachment: 19
43	43
44	44	(1) The greater of: 20
45	45
46	46	(i) [75 percent] 75% of the disposable wages AND SOCIAL 21
47	47	SECURITY, DISABILITY, OR UNEMPLOYMENT BENE FITS due; or 22 2 HOUSE BILL 393
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	(ii) [30 times the State minimum hourly wage in effect at the time 1
52	52	the wages are due,] 150% OF THE FEDERAL POVER TY LEVEL FOR WEEKLY INCOME AS 2
53	53	DETERMINED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR A 3
54	54	HOUSEHOLD OF THE JUD GMENT DEBTOR ’S SIZE multiplied by the number of weeks 4
55	55	during which the wages due were earned; and 5
56	56
57	57	(2) Any medical insurance payment deducted from an employee’s wages by 6
58	58	the employer. 7
59	59
60	60	(c) The amount subject to attachment shall be calculated per pay period 8
61	61
62	62	15–603. 9
63	63
64	64	(a) While the attachment remains a lien, the employer/garnishee shall withhold 10
65	65	all attachable wages payable to the judgment debtor and remit the amount withheld to the 11
66	66	judgment creditor or his legal representative within 15 days after the close of the last pay 12
67	67	period in each month. 13
68	68
69	69	(b) If the employer/garnishee is served with more than one attachment against 14
70	70	the same judgment debtor, then the attachments shall be satisfied in the order in which 15
71	71	they were served, and each prior attachment must be satisfied before any effect can be 16
72	72	given to a subsequent attachment. 17
73	73
74	74	(C) WHEN AN EMPLOYER /GARNISHEE IS SERVED WITH AN ATTACHMENT , 18
75	75	THE EMPLOYER /GARNISHEE SHALL NOTI FY THE JUDGMENT DEBT OR IN WRITING OF: 19
76	76
77	77	(1) THE AMOUNT OF WAGES E XEMPT FROM ATTACHMEN T UNDER § 20
78	78	15–601.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE; 21
79	79
80	80	(2) THE METHOD USED TO CA LCULATE THE AMOUNT O F ATTACHABLE 22
81	81	WAGES; AND 23
82	82
83	83	(3) THE PROCEDURE BY WHIC H THE JUDGMENT DEBTO R MAY 24
84	84	CONTEST THE ATTACHME NT UNDER MARYLAND RULE 3–646. 25
85	85
86	86	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 26
87	87	1, 2025. 27
88	88