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119-hr-10373119th CongressWALLET

Protecting Workers' Wages from Medical Debt Act

Sponsored By: Representative Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]

Introduced

Summary

Ban on wage garnishment for medical debts. This bill would bar any withholding of an employee's wages to pay medical bills. It ties "medical debt" to items and services from health care facilities or providers as defined in the Family and Medical Leave Act and repeals Section 10 of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rule would take effect six months after enactment.

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  • Workers and households would keep more take-home pay because courts could not garnish wages to collect medical debts.
  • Employers would not be required or ordered to withhold an employee's wages for medical bills, and state and federal courts could not enforce such orders.
  • Health care providers and debt collectors would be prevented from using wage garnishment but could still pursue other non-wage collection methods.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Stop wage garnishment for medical bills

If enacted, this bill would stop your wages from being garnished to pay medical bills. It would define "medical debt" as bills for items or services from health care facilities or providers (see FMLA sec. 101(6)). It would define "garnishment" as any legal or equitable process that withholds wages to pay that debt. It would bar Federal and State courts, and State officers or agencies, from ordering or enforcing such wage garnishments. The bill would also repeal Section 10 of the Fair Labor Standards Act and would take effect six months after enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]

VA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 10/9/2026

  • Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5]

    MN • D

    Sponsored 9/14/2026

  • Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 9/14/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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