HB 1979 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Wage garnishment; recovery of certain improper payment, etc., state tax debt.

Summary

Wage garnishment; state or local tax debt. Provides that the maximum part of the aggregate disposable earnings of an individual for any workweek that is subject to garnishment to collect delinquent taxes and charges owed to the state or any local government shall not exceed 25 percent of such individual's disposable earnings for that week. The bill contains technical amendments and applies only to garnishments issued on and after January 1, 2026.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Feb 11, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Finance Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from an original introduction to a House substitute version, which significantly expanded its scope from only wage garnishment rules to include new provisions on recovering improper payments to state officers and employees. The original version focused solely on limiting how much of an individual's wages could be garnished for debt collection, while the substitute version adds new sections addressing state employee overpayments and modifies the garnishment summons form requirements.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from exclusively regulating wage garnishment limits to also include provisions for recovering improper payments made to state officers and employees, and updating garnishment summons formatting requirements.

SCOPE

New section added requiring state officers and employees to repay improperly received compensation, with specific liability rules and payroll deduction limits of 25% of disposable earnings.

REQUIREMENT

New section establishing specific formatting requirements for garnishment summons documents used in debt collection proceedings.

ELIGIBILITY

Original bill title and scope changed to include multiple code sections (2.2-804, 8.01-512.3, 8.01-515, 34-3, and 34-29) rather than just 34-29.

TECHNICAL

Original bill introduction date and sponsor list replaced with substitute version metadata showing House Committee on Finance proposal dated January 29, 2025.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2025

How they voted

62–36

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 100

Feb 4, 2025

D Democratic51

51 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican49

11 Yea 36 Nay 2

73% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Finance and Appropriations

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (62-Y 36-N)

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from Finance with substitute (12-Y 9-N)

lower

Jan 25, 2025

Committee

Assigned Finance sub: Subcommittee #2

lower

Jan 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Finance

lower

1 primary · 9 co-sponsors