Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.
SB5651 • 2026
Increasing the amount exempt from garnishment in nonbankruptcy cases.
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Garnishment exemption amount
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
996 • Goodman
Plain English: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 5651-S2.E AMH GOOD ADAM 242 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Provides that the Department of Revenue must publish the other personal property exemption amounts as adjusted for inflation every three years.
196 • Alvarado
Plain English: 5651-S2 AMS ALVA S2073.3 2SSB 5651 - S AMD 196 By Senator Alvarado PULLED 03/12/2025 On page 4, after line 9, insert the following: 1 "Sec.
211 • Holy
Plain English: 5651-S2 AMS HOLY S2072.1 2SSB 5651 - S AMD 211 By Senator Holy WITHDRAWN 03/12/2025 On page 1, line 20, after "subsection (1)(d)" insert " ; but if 1 two spouses and the community claim two individual exemptions and a 2 community exemption, the automatic protections in this subsection 3 (1)(d) shall not apply" 4 EFFECT: Removes automatic protections in the event two spouses claim two individual exemptions and a community exemption.
212 • Fortunato
Plain English: 5651-S2 AMS FORT S2066.1 2SSB 5651 - S AMD 212 By Senator Fortunato WITHDRAWN 03/12/2025 On page 4, after line 9, insert the following: 1 "Sec.
217 • Alvarado
Plain English: 5651-S2 AMS ALVA S2293.2 2SSB 5651 - S AMD 217 By Senator Alvarado ADOPTED AS AMENDED 03/12/2025 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the 1 following: 2 "Sec.
220 • Fortunato
Plain English: 5651-S2 AMS FORT S2067.3 2SSB 5651 - S AMD TO S AMD (S-2293.2/25) 220 By Senator Fortunato WITHDRAWN 03/12/2025 On page 2, beginning on line 22, after " in the " strike all 1 material through " labor" on line 23 and insert " implicit price 2 deflator for personal consumption expenditures for the United States 3 as published by the bureau of economic analysis of the federal 4 department of commerce" 5 EFFECT: Replaces the consumer price index with the implicit price deflator as the reference for adjustments in exemption amounts.
221 • Fortunato
Plain English: 5651-S2 AMS FORT S2066.3 2SSB 5651 - S AMD TO S AMD (S-2293.2/25) 221 By Senator Fortunato ADOPTED 03/12/2025 On page 3, after line 30, insert the following:1 "Sec.
2nd substitute bill substituted.
Garnishment exemption amount
AN ACT Relating to increasing the amount exempt from garnishment 1 in nonbankruptcy cases; and amending RCW 6.15.010. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:3 Sec. 1. RCW 6.15.010 and 2023 c 393 s 2 are each amended to read 4 as follows: 5 (1) Except as provided in RCW 6.15.050, the following personal 6 property is exempt from execution, attachment, and garnishment:7 (a) All wearing apparel of every individual and family, but not 8 to exceed $3,500 in value in furs, jewelry, and personal ornaments 9 for any individual. 10 (b) All private libraries including electronic media, which 11 includes audiovisual, entertainment, or reference media in digital or 12 analogue format, of every individual, but not to exceed $3,500 in 13 value, and all family pictures and keepsakes. 14 (c) A cell phone, personal computer, and printer.15 (d) To each individual or, as to community property of spouses 16 maintaining a single household as against a creditor of the 17 community, to the community, provided that each spouse is entitled to 18 his or her own exemptions in this subsection (1)(d):19 S-1037.2 SENATE BILL 5651 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senators Alvarado, Valdez, Cortes, Nobles, Salomon, Slatter, Stanford, and Trudeau Read first time 02/04/25. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice. p. 1 SB 5651 (i) All household goods, appliances, furniture, and home and yard 1 equipment, not to exceed $6,500 in value for the individual, said 2 amount to include provisions and fuel for comfortable maintenance;3 (ii) In a bankruptcy case, any other personal property, except 4 personal earnings as provided under RCW 6.15.050(1), not to exceed 5 $10,000 in value. The value shall be determined as of the date the 6 bankruptcy petition is filed; 7 (iii)(A) Other than in a bankruptcy case as described in (d)(ii) 8 of this subsection, other personal property, except personal earnings 9 as provided under RCW 6.15.050(1), not to exceed (($3,000)) $6,000 in 10 value, of which not more than: 11 (((A))) (I) For all debts except private student loan debt and 12 consumer debt, (($500)) $5,000 in value may consist of bank accounts, 13 savings and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities. The 14 maximum exemption under this subsection (1)(d)(iii)(A)(I) shall be 15 automatically protected and may not exceed (($500)) $5,000, 16 regardless of the number of existing separate bank accounts, savings 17 and loan accounts, stocks, bonds, or other securities.18 (((B))) (II) For all private student loan debt, (($2,500)) $5,000 19 in value may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, 20 stocks, bonds, or other securities. The maximum exemption under this 21 subsection (1)(d)(iii)(((B))) (A)(II) shall be automatically 22 protected and may not exceed (($2,500)) $5,000, regardless of the 23 number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, 24 stocks, bonds, or other securities. 25 (((C))) (III) For all consumer debt, (($2,000)) $5,000 in value 26 may consist of bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, stocks, 27 bonds, or other securities. The maximum exemption under this 28 subsection (1)(d)(iii)(((C))) (A)(III) shall be automatically 29 protected and may not exceed (($2,000)) $5,000, regardless of the 30 number of existing separate bank accounts, savings and loan accounts, 31 stocks, bonds, or other securities.32 (B) Beginning April 1, 2027, the dollar amounts in this 33 subsection (1)(d)(iii) shall be adjusted every three years by the 34 department of revenue to:35 (I) Reflect the change in the consumer price index for all urban 36 consumers, published by the United States department of labor, for 37 the most recent three-year period; and38 (II) Round to the nearest $25 the dollar amount that represents 39 such change; 40 p. 2 SB 5651 (iv) A motor vehicle not to exceed $15,000 in aggregate value;1 (v) Any past due, current, or future child support paid or owed 2 to the debtor, which can be traced; 3 (vi) All professionally prescribed health aids for the debtor or 4 a dependent of the debtor; 5 (vii) To any individual, the right to or proceeds of a payment 6 not to exceed twenty thousand dollars on account of personal bodily 7 injury, not including pain and suffering or compensation for actual 8 pecuniary loss, of the debtor or an individual of whom the debtor is 9 a dependent; or the right to or proceeds of a payment in compensation 10 of loss of future earnings of the debtor or an individual of whom the 11 debtor is or was a dependent, to the extent reasonably necessary for 12 the support of the debtor and any dependent of the debtor; and13 (viii) In a bankruptcy case, the right to or proceeds of personal 14 injury of the debtor or an individual of whom the debtor is a 15 dependent; or the right to or proceeds of a payment in compensation 16 of loss of future earnings of the debtor or an individual of whom the 17 debtor is or was a dependent are free of the enforcement of the 18 claims of creditors, except to the extent such claims are for the 19 satisfaction of any liens or subrogation claims arising out of the 20 claims for personal injury or death. The exemption under this 21 subsection (1)(d)(viii) does not apply to the right of the state of 22 Washington, or any agent or assignee of the state, as a lienholder or 23 subrogee under RCW 43.20B.060. 24 (e) To any individual, the tools, instruments, materials, and 25 supplies used to carry on his or her trade not to exceed $15,000 in 26 value. 27 (f) Tuition units, under chapter 28B.95 RCW, purchased more than 28 two years prior to the date of a bankruptcy filing or court judgment, 29 and contributions to any other qualified tuition program under 26 30 U.S.C. Sec. 529 of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, and 31 to a Coverdell education savings account, also known as an education 32 individual retirement account, under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 530 of the 33 internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, contributed more than two 34 years prior to the date of a bankruptcy filing or court judgment.35 (2) For purposes of this section, "value" means the reasonable 36 market value of the debtor's interest in an article or item at the 37 time it is selected for exemption, exclusive of all liens and 38 encumbrances thereon. 39 p. 3 SB 5651 (3) In the case of married persons, each spouse is entitled to 1 the exemptions provided in this section, which may be combined with 2 the other spouse's exemption in the same property or taken in 3 different exempt property. 4 --- END --- p. 4 SB 5651