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Criminal Victims Protection Act of 1990

Public Law 101-581 · S. 1931 · 101st Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by George H. W. Bush (R) on Nov 15, 1990 · Finance and Financial Sector

Sponsor: Sen. John Danforth (R-MO)

Cosponsors (7): Sen. Joseph Biden,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Criminal Victims Protection Act of 1990 - Amends the Federal bankruptcy code to prohibit the bankruptcy court from granting a discharge to an individual debtor from any debt for: (1) death or personal injury caused by the unlawful operation of a motor vehicle while the debtor was intoxicated from using alcohol, a drug, or another substance (removing the requirement under current law that the debt arise from a judgment or consent decree entered in a court of record against the debtor); and (2) restitution included in a sentence for a criminal conviction.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee
  • Judiciary Committee · Senate · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 20 actions.

  1. Nov 15, 1990Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 101-581.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 9, 1990PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 27, 1990Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendments by Voice Vote.
  5. Oct 26, 1990FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  6. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  8. FloorFloor · On ordering a second Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · Mr. Fish demanded a second on the motion to suspend the rules.
  10. FloorFloor · Mr. Brooks moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  11. Sep 26, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  12. Sep 24, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  13. Sep 18, 1990FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Voice Vote.
  14. Aug 30, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Judiciary Committee
  15. Jun 14, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Judiciary Committee
  16. Mar 1, 1990CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  18. Dec 11, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Administrative Oversight and the Courts Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee
  19. Nov 20, 1989CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.