Wage garnishments for consumer debt, such as credit cards or loans, were temporarily suspended under a measure signed April 14 by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D).
Proclamation 20-49, which aims to protect federal relief payments from debt collectors, is in effect until May 14. The measure also temporarily waives the accrual of interest on debt judgments.
Complying with statutory wage-garnishment laws would prevent, hinder, or delay the relief response to the Covid-19 state of emergency that was declared by Inslee under an earlier proclamation, the measure said.
Violators of the proclamation may be subject to criminal penalties.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) was among the state attorneys general who on sent a letter March 13 to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin requesting that relief payments made during the coronavirus crisis be exempt from garnishments.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christine Pulfrey in Washington at cpulfrey@bloombergtax.com
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