This bill amends existing Washington law (RCW 6.27.340 and RCW 6.27.350) to impose new procedural requirements for writs of garnishment directed to employers. It requires the first answer from a garnishee employer to state, as of the date the writ was issued, specific facts including whether the defendant is employed (or date employment ended), any preexisting continuing writs, whether the defendant has accounts with the garnishee, any funds or property the garnishee holds, and detailed calculations of total earnings, allowable deductions, disposable and exempt earnings, superior liens (for example child support), and net earnings withheld. The bill permits the first answer to follow a form developed by the Washington pattern forms committee and provides that if the plaintiff fails to supply required information, the employer may treat the garnishment as not creating a continuing lien. The bill also defines the "effective date" of a writ, makes a lien on earnings a continuing lien as of that effective date, and limits the lien to either the amount required by the writ or the employer payroll period ending on or before 60 days after the effective date (whichever occurs first), except it ends sooner if employment ends or the underlying judgment is vacated, modified, satisfied, or the writ is dismissed. At the expected time of lien termination the plaintiff must mail a second answer form (or equivalent) to the garnishee, and the garnishee must file the prescribed second answer within 20 days of receipt. The Washington pattern forms committee must develop the referenced forms by December 31, 2026. Sections 1 and 2 take effect May 1, 2027. This is a modification of existing law that makes procedural changes to garnishment answers, form requirements, and the timing and duration rules for continuing liens on earnings. No changes to criminal penalties are described in the provided text. The actual committee-developed forms are not included here, and it is unclear from these extracts how the new forms relate to prior statutory example form language or whether other statutory cross-references beyond RCW 6.27.110, 6.27.340, and 6.27.350 are affected.

If enacted, employers who are served with wage garnishment writs will have to provide a much more detailed, date‑specific first response showing employment status, any prior writs, account holdings, possession of any of the debtor’s property, and a full calculation of gross earnings, allowable deductions, exempt earnings, superior liens, and net amounts withheld. That will shift more recordkeeping and payroll calculation work onto employers (and likely increase their administrative costs or need for legal/payroll support). Creditors (plaintiffs) must also follow new timing steps: a writ becomes a continuing lien as of a defined “effective date,” and liens generally end either when the writ amount is satisfied or by the employer’s payroll period ending on or before 60 days after the effective date unless other termination events occur, and the plaintiff must mail a “second answer” form when the lien is expected to end and the garnishee must file a response within 20 days. The immediate practical winners and losers will be employers, who gain clearer authority to treat a garnishment as not creating a continuing lien if the plaintiff fails to supply required information, and creditors, who face stricter procedural duties and a tighter window to collect by wage liens (or else may need to reissue writs). Debtors may see liens end sooner or get clearer accounting of what was withheld. It is unclear from the provided text what the exact new form language will say or how it interacts with the existing example form, because the Washington pattern forms committee must finalize the forms by December 31, 2026.