1026                             Laws of Maryland                       Ch. 445

INGS ARE PAYABLE. Every contract or agreement of any char-
acter whatsoever of such laborer or employee, the purpose of which
is to waive this right of exemption, shall be absolutely void, pro-
vided, however, that the salary or wages of any laborer or employee
shall not be exempt from attachment, levy or lien at the instance
of the State for income tax due the State by any such laborer or
employee. [This section shall not be applicable in Caroline, Cecil,
Kent, Queen Anne's and Worcester counties.]

(b) No employer may discharge any employee by reason of the
fact that his earnings have been subjected to garnishment for any
one indebtedness ON ANY ONE OCCASION within a calendar year
and whoever wilfully violates this subsection shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor and to a fine of not more than one thousand dollars
($1,000.00) and/or imprisonment not exceeding one year.

[31A.

In Cecil County no attachment of the wages or hire of any laborer
or employees, in the hands of the employer, whether private indi-
viduals or bodies corporate, shall affect any salary or wages of the
debtor which are not actually due at the date of the attachment;
and the sum of seventy-five percent (75%) of such wages or hire
due any laborer or employee by any employer or corporation is
exempt from attachment by any process whatever. Every contract
or agreement of any character whatsoever of such laborer or em-
ployee, the purpose of which is to waive this right of exemption,
shall be absolutely void, provided, however, that the salary or wages
of any laborer or employee shall not be exempt from attachment,
levy or lien at the instance of the State for income tax due the
State by any laborer or employee.]

[31B.

In Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne's and Worcester counties no at-
tachment of the wages or hire of any laborer or employees, in the
hands of the employer, whether private individuals or bodies cor-
porate, shall affect any salary or wages of the debtor which are not
actually due at the date of the attachment; and the sum of seventy-five
percent (75%) of such wages or hire due any laborer or employee
by any employer or corporation is exempt from attachment by any
process whatever. Every contract or agreement of any character
whatsoever of such laborer or employee, the purpose of which is
to waive this right of exemption, shall be absolutely void, provided,
however, that the salary or wages of any laborer or employee shall
not be exempt from attachment, levy or lien at the instance of the
State for income tax due the State by any laborer or employee.]

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1970.

Approved April 28, 1970

CHAPTER 445
(House Bill 523)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Section 6(i)
of Article 95A of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1966 Supple