Chap. 225.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 6556 of the Code of Vir-
ginia, as heretofore amended, relating to certain exemptions allowed laborers
who are householders or heads of families, so as to permit any such house-
holder or head of a family against whom a judgment has been obtained, at
the time such judgment is rendered or at any time thereafter, to move the
justice or court rendering such judgment to declare certain wages exempt.

[H B 295]
Approved March 23, 1936

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
sixty-five hundred and fifty-six of the Code of Virginia, as heretofore
amended, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 6556. At the time any judgment be obtained against a
laboring man or woman who is a householder or head of a family, or
at any time thereafter and prior to the discharge thereof, such judgment
debtor may move the justice or court which rendered such judgment,
or the judge of such court in vacation, to have so much of the wages
of said judgment debtor as does not exceed the amount of the exemp-
tion allowed by section sixty-five hundred and fifty-five of the Code
of Virginia declared exempt. Such motion shall be informally heard
forthwith, and if it appear that such wages, or any part thereof, are
exempt, such court, judge or justice shall so declare and thereupon
issue to such judgment debtor a certificate, valid until revoked, au-
thorizing the then present or any future employer of such judgment
debtor to pay to him or her such wages as may be due or become due
to such judgment debtor, not exceeding the amount of such exemption,
regardless of any pending or future garnishment, notice of lien, mort-
gage, assignment, sale, pledge, levy or any other legal proceedings.
Unless such motion be made at the time such judgment is rendered,
or in the presence of the plaintiff or his agent or attorney, the same
shall not be heard except after reasonable notice in writing to such
judgment creditor. For any such certificate the judgment debtor shall
pay a fee of fifty cents.

Any judgment creditor, upon having a garnishment summons issued
upon a judgment against the judgment debtor named in said certificate,
may give five days’ written notice, to be served personally on the
employer and the judgment debtor by any officer authorized by law
to serve civil process, that he will apply to the court, judge or justice
who issued such certificate to have the same revoked, and, upon proof
that the holder of said certificate is no longer entitled to the exemption
allowed thereby, the court, judge or justice shall revoke the same and
require the holder to deliver said certificate to the court, which shall
cancel the same.