(a) A contract attempting or purporting to transfer or assign salary or wages to be earned by the debtor, if made in the District of Columbia, is invalid and contrary to public policy and unenforceable, and if made outside the District of Columbia, is unenforceable in any court within the District of Columbia.

(b) Whoever, in the District of Columbia demands or receives from a debtor an assignment of salary or wages to be thereafter earned by the debtor, or notifies an employer that he holds an assignment of such salary or wages, upon conviction shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01] or imprisoned not more than sixty days. Prosecutions under this subsection shall be upon information filed in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia or one of his assistants.

(Aug. 30, 1964, 78 Stat. 670, Pub. L. 88-509, § 1; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 570, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 155(a); June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 285(a), 60 DCR 2064.)

1981 Ed., § 28-2305.

1973 Ed., § 28-2305.

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in [§ 22-3571.01]” for “not more than $200” in (b).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 285(a) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.