SB301
Exemptions from garnishment; minimum protected account balance, certain benefit payments.
Status:
Passed
Latest Action:
March 10, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Chief Patron:
Schuyler VanValkenburg (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Exemptions from garnishment; minimum protected account balance; certain benefit payments; procedure for financial institutions.
Requires certain financial institutions to automatically exempt from garnishment (i) a minimum protected account balance, defined in the bill as the combined total of not more than $1,000 in a judgment debtor's account or across multiple accounts in the same financial institution, and (ii) a protected amount of certain benefit ... (More) payments, defined in the bill, that have been deposited into the account via direct deposit or electronic deposit within the two months immediately preceding the day before a financial institution commences an account review. The bill describes an account review as a process of examining an account of a judgment conducted by a financial institution upon such financial institution's receipt of a garnishment summons to determine if any eligible benefit payments have been deposited within the applicable time period and, if so, to calculate the total sum of such benefit payments and establish the total as a protected amount that shall be automatically exempt from garnishment. The bill provides that such procedure to automatically exempt such funds shall not apply if the debt arises from a child support or spousal support obligation or if an exemption is otherwise prohibited by law. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/13/2026 - Senate: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105000D
- 01/13/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
- 01/26/2026 - Senate: Rereferred from Commerce and Labor to Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N)
- 01/26/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Courts of Justice
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Senate committee offered
- 02/09/2026 - Senate: Reported from Courts of Justice with amendments (8-Y 6-N)
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 02/10/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Read second time
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Courts of Justice Amendments agreed to
- 02/11/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate as amended (Voice Vote)
- 02/12/2026 - Senate: Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) Close Floor Vote
- 02/17/2026 - House: Placed on Calendar
- 02/17/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/17/2026 - House: Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice
- 02/17/2026 - House: Placed on Courts of Justice Agenda
- 02/18/2026 - House: Reported from Courts of Justice (18-Y 4-N)
- 02/20/2026 - House: Read second time
- 02/23/2026 - House: Read third time
- 02/23/2026 - House: Passed House (81-Y 15-N 0-A)
- 02/24/2026 - Senate: Enrolled
- 02/24/2026 - Senate: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB301ER)
- 02/24/2026 - House: Signed by Speaker
- 02/24/2026 - Senate: Signed by President
- 03/10/2026 - Senate: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026
- 03/10/2026 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
