FINAL DOLLAR PROTECTION

Provide Financial Relief to Washington Families Now

SB XXXX continues Washington State’s commitment to protecting low income families from poverty by ensuring that a basic amount for rent, childcare, healthcare, and other necessities is automatically protected in their bank accounts when facing garnishment.

However, our current protections are too low for Washington families to adequately pay for rent and other necessities.

Our Solution: The Final Dollar Protection Act
Personal property exemptions protect working families.
  • Renews and expands existing law to protect $5,000 in a bank account from garnishment on consumer debt.
    • The current protection only covers $1,000 automatically and another $1,000 through a series of unnecessary and complex forms.
  • Preserves judicial resources and relieves burden from banks, creditors, and individuals from a complex legal process by making the full exemption amount self-executing.
  • The average price of rent in Washington State is $1,756 per month. This bill ensures working families can pay rent, afford groceries, and other necessities when in financial hardship.
What does the Final Dollar Protection Act do?

If passed, the Final Dollar Protection Act will help ensure that:

  • Removes Sunset Provision which is set to expire in 2025
    • Continues our state’s commitment to ensuring Washington families will be able to retain basic amounts of money to pay rent, groceries, and other necessities when facing financial hardship by removing the sunset provision.
  • Provides a Fully Self Executing Exemption
    • Automatically protects the $5,000 protected by law, removing an unnecessarily complex legal process.
    • Provides clarity and simplicity for banks, creditors, and individuals and preserves judicial resources.
  • Adds Escalator Clause to Keep Up With Inflation
    • Ensures that the amount in consumers bank accounts reflects the amount for necessities in the future, even after garnishment.
The Final Dollar Protection Act is supported by:
  • National Consumer Law Center
  • Statewide Poverty Action Network
  • Washington State Associate for Justice
  • Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
  • AARP of Washington
  • WA Build Back Black Alliance
  • Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action
Read the Bill
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Your donation will support NWCLC's efforts to pass The Final Dollar Protection Act.

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