---
type: "Bill"
title: "Debtor's disposable earnings; exemptions form garnishment, exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings."
description: "Exemptions from garnishment; exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings; disposable earnings. Provides that the exemption provided for a debtor's disposable earnings, defined by current law, that are subject to garnishment also applies to disposable earnings for the purposes of a bankruptcy proceeding."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 445"
citation: "Virginia HB 445 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Marcus B. Simon"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 24
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-12"
last_action: "2026-04-06"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5a69ff65-fe0a-49fc-adb7-bdc5657810ec"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB445"
source_hash: "64c17f25ac085918c9c5f0ea5383ce4fa50fae34996459e26606aad15d9b8b68"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 445 (2026) — Debtor's disposable earnings; exemptions form garnishment, exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings.

Exemptions from garnishment; exemptions in bankruptcy proceedings; disposable earnings. Provides that the exemption provided for a debtor's disposable earnings, defined by current law, that are subject to garnishment also applies to disposable earnings for the purposes of a bankruptcy proceeding.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1084475.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216653.PDF)
3. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1193810.PDF)

## Votes

- Reported from Courts of Justice — **19–0** (pass) · lower
- H VOTE: — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported from Courts of Justice — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **40–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Marcus B. Simon — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-12** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101046D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-12** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-19** Assigned HCJ sub: Civil `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-21** Subcommittee recommends reporting (10-Y 0-N)
- **2026-01-28** Reported from Courts of Justice (19-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-30** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-02** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2026-02-03** Read third time and passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-04** Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- **2026-02-04** Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** Reported from Courts of Justice (15-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-27** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-27** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-27** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-03-02** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-02** Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-05** Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB445ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-10** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-06** Approved by Governor-Chapter 143 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-06** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0143)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5a69ff65-fe0a-49fc-adb7-bdc5657810ec`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).