Oregon enacts new consumer finance protections related to wage garnishment

State Issues State Legislation Garnishment Oregon

Recently, the Governor of Oregon enacted bill SB 1595 (the “Act”) that amended Oregon’s statutes to provide greater consumer protection rights for Oregonians working to pay back their debts. The Act was mostly comprised of new rights for wage garnishments. Section 10, which updated ORS 18.785, amended what a financial institution must do if it receives a writ of garnishment for a debtor, including checking for federal benefits and analyzing an account holder’s base protected account balance, among other provisions. Additionally, the Act protected $2,500 from a person’s bank account to help them meet basic needs. The law went into effect on April 4.