Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB31 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	sb0031
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 31
8	8	I4 5lr1474
9	9	(PRE–FILED)
10	10	By: Senator Ellis
11	11	Requested: October 29, 2024
12	12	Introduced and read first time: January 8, 2025
13	13	Assigned to: Finance
14	14
15	15	A BILL ENTITLED
16	16
17	17	AN ACT concerning 1
18	18
19	19	Commercial Law – Attachment of Wages – Exemptions 2
20	20	(Exempt Income Protection Act) 3
21	21
22	22	FOR the purpose of altering the amount of wages of a judgment debtor that are exempt 4
23	23	from attachment; requiring an employer served with an attachment to make certain 5
24	24	notifications to a judgment debtor; and generally relating to exemptions from 6
25	25	attachment. 7
26	26
27	27	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
28	28	Article – Commercial Law 9
29	29	Section 15–601.1 and 15–603 10
30	30	Annotated Code of Maryland 11
31	31	(2013 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12
32	32
33	33	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
34	34	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
35	35
36	36	Article – Commercial Law 15
37	37
38	38	15–601.1. 16
39	39
40	40	(a) In this section, “disposable wages” means the part of wages that remain after 17
41	41	deduction of any amount required to be withheld by law. 18
42	42
43	43	(b) The following are exempt from attachment: 19
44	44
45	45	(1) The greater of: 20
46	46	2 SENATE BILL 31
47	47
48	48
49	49	(i) [75 percent] 75% of the disposable wages AND SOCIAL 1
50	50	SECURITY, DISABILITY, OR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT S due; or 2
51	51
52	52	(ii) [30 times the State minimum hourly wage in effect at the time 3
53	53	the wages are due,] 150% OF THE FEDERAL POVERTY LEVE L FOR WEEKLY INCOME AS 4
54	54	DETERMINED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR A 5
55	55	HOUSEHOLD O F THE JUDGMENT DEBTO R’S SIZE multiplied by the number of weeks 6
56	56	during which the wages due were earned; and 7
57	57
58	58	(2) Any medical insurance payment deducted from an employee’s wages by 8
59	59	the employer. 9
60	60
61	61	(c) The amount subject to attachment shall be calculated per pay period 10
62	62
63	63	15–603. 11
64	64
65	65	(a) While the attachment remains a lien, the employer/garnishee shall withhold 12
66	66	all attachable wages payable to the judgment debtor and remit the amount withheld to the 13
67	67	judgment creditor or his legal representative within 15 days after the close of the last pay 14
68	68	period in each month. 15
69	69
70	70	(b) If the employer/garnishee is served with more than one attachment against 16
71	71	the same judgment debtor, then the attachments shall be satisfied in the order in which 17
72	72	they were served, and each prior attachment must be satisfied before any effect can be 18
73	73	given to a subsequent attachment. 19
74	74
75	75	(C) WHEN AN EMPLOYER/GARNISHEE IS SERVED WITH AN ATTACHMENT , 20
76	76	THE EMPLOYER/GARNISHEE SHALL NOTIFY THE JUDGMENT DEBTOR IN WRITING OF: 21
77	77
78	78	(1) THE AMOUNT OF WAGES E XEMPT FROM ATTACHMENT UNDER § 22
79	79	15–601.1 OF THIS SUBTITLE; 23
80	80
81	81	(2) THE METHOD USED TO CA LCULATE THE AMOUNT O F ATTACHABLE 24
82	82	WAGES; AND 25
83	83
84	84	(3) THE PROCEDURE BY WHIC H THE JUDGMENT DEBTO R MAY 26
85	85	CONTEST THE ATTACHME NT UNDER MARYLAND RULE 3–646. 27
86	86
87	87	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 28
88	88	1, 2025. 29