Governor’s proclamation, now in effect until Sept. 1, clarifies that the garnishment restrictions apply to CARES Act payments, not wage garnishments.
8/5/2020 11:00
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has extended a proclamation to temporarily prohibit certain garnishments statewide from Aug. 1, 2020, to Sept. 1, 2020, or until the end of the COVID-19 State of Emergency, whichever is first, according to a news release.
The updated proclamation contains an important clarification for the accounts receivable management industry and ACA International members based on the hard work of the Washington Collectors Association on advocacy with the governor’s office.
“Except as otherwise prohibited or limited by state or federal law, the statutory waivers and suspensions of Proclamations 20-49, et seq., which operate to prohibit garnishments for consumer debt in certain circumstances, (a) are not applicable to bank account funds other than CARES Act stimulus payments and state and federal unemployment payments; and (b) are not applicable to garnishments for continuing liens on earnings (wages), and have not been applicable to garnishments for continuing liens on earning(s) since May 27, 2020,” according to the proclamation.
The Washington Collectors Association focused its advocacy efforts on this important clarification from the governor’s office since the first extension of the prohibition on certain garnishments was announced.