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COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021

Public Law 117-5 · H.R. 1651 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Mar 27, 2021 · Law

Sponsor: Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10)

Cosponsors (2): Rep. Ben Cline,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
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.

This bill extends existing provisions that provide relief to debtors in bankruptcy, including those related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

These provisions (1) exclude certain COVID-19 aid payments from income for the purposes of bankruptcy, and (2) increase the debt eligibility threshold for businesses qualifying for certain types of Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy. Currently, these provisions expire March 27, 2021. The bill extends these provisions for one year.

The bill also allows for modification of a Chapter 13 repayment plan for plans confirmed before the date of enactment of this bill if the debtor is experiencing material financial hardship due to COVID-19. Currently, such a modification is only available for plans confirmed before March 27, 2020.

Committees

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

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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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 473Identical bill

    COVID–19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

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

  1. Mar 27, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-5.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Mar 26, 2021Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  4. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Without objection, the Chair laid before the House H.R. 1651 along with the Senate amendment thereto.
  6. FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  8. Mar 25, 2021FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  9. Mar 24, 2021FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  10. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  11. Mar 18, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  12. Mar 17, 2021FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  13. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 399 - 14 (Roll no. 88).House roll call 88
  14. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  15. Mar 16, 2021FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  16. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1651.
  17. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  18. FloorFloor · Mr. Nadler moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  19. Mar 8, 2021CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  20. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 1407SenateSen. Richard DurbinD-IL· offered Mar 24, 2021Agreed to

    To improve the bill.

    Mar 24, 2021: Amendment SA 1407 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.