Protecting Workers' Wages from Medical Debt Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 10373 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 10373 To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit the garnishment of wages in relation to medical debt, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 14, 2026 Mr. Scott of Virginia (for himself, Ms. Omar, and Mr. Casar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit the garnishment of wages in relation to medical debt, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Workers' Wages from Medical Debt Act''. SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON WAGE GARNISHMENT FOR MEDICAL DEBTS. (a) In General.--The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 7 the following: ``SEC. 8. PROHIBITION ON WAGE GARNISHMENT FOR MEDICAL DEBTS. ``(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no wages of an employee may be subject to garnishment for the payment of any medical debt. ``(b) Prohibition on Courts and States.--No court of the United States or any State, and no State (or officer or agency thereof), may make, execute, or enforce any order or process in violation of this section. ``(c) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Garnishment.--The term `garnishment' means any legal or equitable procedure through which the wages of any individual are required to be withheld for payment of any medical debt. ``(2) Medical debt.--.The term `medical debt' means a debt arising from the furnishing of items and services by a health care facility or health care