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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 301

Exemptions from garnishment; minimum protected account balance, certain benefit payments.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

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 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.The bill further provides that a judgment debtor is not required to claim nor request a hearing for such automatic exemptions. Finally, the bill makes updates to the relevant provisions governing garnishment proceedings, notices to the garnishee and judgment debtor, and the form of a garnishment summons consistent with the provisions of the bill. This bill is identical to HB 601.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 15, 2026, 8:04 PM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Feb 23, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 18, 2026
House		Reported from Courts of JusticepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 12, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 10, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 9, 2026
Senate		Reported from Courts of Justice with amendmentspassSet your home in Virginia to see
Jan 26, 2026
Senate		Rereferred from Commerce and LaborpassSet your home in Virginia to see

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