The Wage Garnishment Law prescribes the procedure for withholding an employee's earnings for purposes of paying a debt. The law requires that a levy of execution upon the earnings of an employee be made by service of an earnings withholding order upon the employer. An earnings withholding order is issued by a levying officer upon receiving an application submitted by a judgment creditor, as specified. Existing law prohibits the amount of an individual judgment debtor's weekly disposable earnings subject to levy under an earnings withholding order from exceeding the lesser of 25% of the individual's weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which the individual's disposable earnings for the week exceed 40 times the state minimum hourly wage in effect at the time the earnings are payable, as specified, unless an exception applies. An employer is required, except as otherwise provided by statute, to withhold the amounts required by an earnings withholding order from all earnings of the employee payable for any pay period of the employee which ends during the withholding period.
California SB 501 (20152016) — Wage garnishment restrictions.
The Wage Garnishment Law prescribes the procedure for withholding an employee's earnings for purposes of paying a debt. The law requires that a levy of execution upon the earnings of an employee be made by service of an earnings withholding order upon the employer. An earnings withholding order is issued by a levying officer upon receiving an application submitted by a judgment creditor, as specified. Existing law prohibits the amount of an individual judgment debtor's weekly disposable earnings subject to levy under an earnings withholding order from exceeding the lesser of 25% of the individual's weekly disposable earnings or the amount by which the individual's disposable earnings for the week exceed 40 times the state minimum hourly wage in effect at the time the earnings are payable, as specified, unless an exception applies. An employer is required, except as otherwise provided by statute, to withhold the amounts required by an earnings withholding order from all earnings of the employee payable for any pay period of the employee which ends during the withholding period.
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
SB 501 Wieckowski Senate Third Reading By GARCIA, C. — 62–16 (pass) · lower
Do pass — 5–2 (pass) · upper
Unfinished Business SB501 Wieckowski Concurrence — 27–11 (pass) · upper
Do pass as amended. — 6–2 (pass) · lower
Sponsors
Wieckowski — primary (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2015-02-26 Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. introduction, reading-1
2015-02-27 From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 29.
2015-03-12 Referred to Coms. on B. & F.I. and JUD. referral-committee
2015-03-13 Set for hearing April 15.
2015-04-06 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. & F.I. referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1
2015-04-13 April 15 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2015-04-14 Set for hearing April 29.
2015-04-28 From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. & F.I. referral-committee, reading-2, amendment-passage, committee-passage, reading-1
2015-04-28 April 29 set for second hearing canceled at the request of author.
2015-04-29 Withdrawn from committee.
2015-04-29 Re-referred to Com. on JUD. referral-committee
2015-05-01 Set for hearing May 12.
2015-05-13 From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2. Page 983.) (May 12). committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage
2015-05-14 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2015-05-22 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 26. Noes 11. Page 1061.) Ordered to the Assembly. reading-3, passage, reading-1
2015-05-22 In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk. reading-1
2015-06-18 Referred to Com. on JUD. referral-committee
2015-06-30 June 30 set for first hearing canceled at the request of author.
2015-07-08 From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 6. Noes 2.) (July 7). committee-passage-favorable, committee-passage, amendment-passage
2015-07-09 Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading. amendment-passage, reading-2, reading-1
2015-07-13 Read second time. Ordered to third reading. reading-2, reading-1
2015-08-27 Read third time and amended. reading-3, amendment-passage, reading-1
2015-08-27 Ordered to third reading.
2015-09-04 Read third time and amended. reading-3, amendment-passage, reading-1
2015-09-04 Ordered to third reading.
2015-09-09 Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 62. Noes 16. Page 3026.) Ordered to the Senate. reading-3, passage, reading-1
2015-09-09 In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
2015-09-10 Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 27. Noes 11. Page 2675.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling. committee-passage-favorable, amendment-passage
2015-09-15 Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 9:30 a.m.
2015-10-11 Approved by the Governor. executive-signature
2015-10-11 Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 800, Statutes of 2015.
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/6e99a245-445a-4e75-b667-99d061288f70. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official California legislature records).