11 U.S.C. § 103 — Applicability of chapters

Page 30 TITLE 11—BANKRUPTCY § 103 1 See References in Text note below. tive approval of the bankruptcy judge for almost every action. The change will permit the bankruptcy judge to stay removed from the administration of the bank- ruptcy or reorganization case, and to become involved only when there is a dispute about a proposed action, that is, only when there is an objection. The phrase ‘‘such opportunity for a hearing as is appropriate in the particular circumstances’’ is designed to permit the Rules and the courts to expedite or dispense with hear- ings when speed is essential. The language ‘‘or similar phrase’’ is intended to cover the few instances in the bill where ‘‘after notice and a hearing’’ is interrupted by another phrase, such as ‘‘after notice to the debtor and a hearing.’’ Paragraph (2) specifies that ‘‘claim against the debt- or’’ includes claim against property of the debtor. This paragraph is intended to cover nonrecourse loan agree- ments where the creditor’s only rights are against property of the debtor, and not against the debtor per- sonally. Thus, such an agreement would give rise to a claim that would be treated as a claim against the debtor personally, for the purposes of the bankruptcy code. Paragraph (3) is a codification of American Surety Co. v. Marotta, 287 U.S. 513 (1933). It specifies that ‘‘in- cludes’’ and ‘‘including’’ are not limiting. Paragraph (4) specifies that ‘‘may not’’ is prohibitive and not permissive (such as in ‘‘might not’’). Paragraph (5) specifies that ‘‘or’’ is not exclusive. Thus, if a party ‘‘may do (a) or (b)’’, then the party may do either or both. The party is not limited to a mutually exclusive choice between the two alter- natives. Paragraph (6) makes clear that ‘‘order for relief’’ means entry of an order for relief. If the court orally orders relief, but the order is not entered until a later time, then any time measurements in the bill are from entry, not from the oral order. In a voluntary case, the entry of the order for relief is the filing of the petition commencing the voluntary case. Paragraph (7) specifies that the singular includes the plural. The plural, however, generally does not include the singular. The bill uses only the singular, even when the item in question most often is found in plural quan- tities, in order to avoid the confusion possible if both rules of construction applied. When an item is specified in the plural, the plural is intended. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1986—Par. (9). Pub. L. 99–554 added par. (9). 1984—Par. (8). Pub. L. 98–353 substituted ‘‘contained’’ for ‘‘continued’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1986 AMENDMENT Effective date and applicability of amendment by Pub. L. 99–554 dependent upon the judicial district in- volved, see section 302(d), (e) of Pub. L. 99–554, set out as a note under section 581 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1984 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 98–353 effective with respect to cases filed 90 days after July 10, 1984, see section 552(a) of Pub. L. 98–353, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. § 103. Applicability of chapters (a) Except as provided in section 1161 of this title, chapters 1, 3, and 5 of this title apply in a case under chapter 7, 11, 12, or 13 of this title, and this chapter, sections 307, 362(o), 555 through 557, and 559 through 562 apply in a case under chapter 15. (b) Subchapters I and II of chapter 7 of this title apply only in a case under such chapter. (c) Subchapter III of chapter 7 of this title ap- plies only in a case under such chapter con- cerning a stockbroker. (d) Subchapter IV of chapter 7 of this title ap- plies only in a case under such chapter con- cerning a commodity broker. (e) SCOPE OF APPLICATION.—Subchapter V of chapter 7 of this title shall apply only in a case under such chapter concerning the liquidation of an uninsured State member bank, or a corpora- tion organized under section 25A of the Federal Reserve Act, which operates, or operates as, a multilateral clearing organization pursuant to section 409 1 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991. (f) Except as provided in section 901 of this title, only chapters 1 and 9 of this title apply in a case under such chapter 9. (g) Except as provided in section 901 of this title, subchapters I, II, and III of chapter 11 of this title apply only in a case under such chap- ter. (h) Subchapter IV of chapter 11 of this title ap- plies only in a case under such chapter con- cerning a railroad. (i) Subchapter V of chapter 11 of this title ap- plies only in a case under chapter 11 in which a debtor (as defined in section 1182) elects that subchapter V of chapter 11 shall apply. (j) Chapter 13 of this title applies only in a case under such chapter. (k) Chapter 12 of this title applies only in a case under such chapter. (l) Chapter 15 applies only in a case under such chapter, except that— (1) sections 1505, 1513, and 1514 apply in all cases under this title; and (2) section 1509 applies whether or not a case under this title is pending. (Pub. L. 95–598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2555; Pub. L. 97–222, § 2, July 27, 1982, 96 Stat. 235; Pub. L. 98–353, title III, § 423, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 369; Pub. L. 99–554, title II, § 252, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3104; Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(5) [title I, § 112(c)(5)(A)], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–394; Pub. L. 109–8, title VIII, § 802(a), Apr. 20, 2005, 119 Stat. 145; Pub. L. 111–327, § 2(a)(2), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3557; Pub. L. 116–54, § 4(a)(2), Aug. 23, 2019, 133 Stat. 1085; Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title I, § 1113(a)(2), Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 311.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES SENATE REPORT NO. 95–989 Section 103 prescribes which chapters of the proposed bankruptcy code apply in various cases. All cases, other than cases ancillary to foreign proceedings, are filed under chapter 7, 9, 11, or 13, the operative chapters of the proposed bankruptcy code. The general provi- sions that apply no matter which chapter a case is filed under are found in chapters 1, 3, and 5. Subsection (a) makes this explicit, with an exception for chapter 9. The other provisions, which are self-explanatory, pro- vide the special rules for Stockbroker Liquidations, Commodity Broker Liquidations, Municipal Debt Ad- justments, and Railroad Reorganizations. Page 31 TITLE 11—BANKRUPTCY § 104 Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 25A of the Federal Reserve Act, referred to in subsec. (e), popularly known as the Edge Act, is classi- fied to subchapter II (§ 611 et seq.) of chapter 6 of Title 12, Banks and Banking. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 611 of Title 12 and Tables. Section 409 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corpora- tion Improvement Act of 1991, referred to in subsec. (e), was classified to section 4422 of Title 12, Banks and Banking, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 111–203, title VII, § 740, July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1729. AMENDMENTS 2020—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 116–136 substituted ‘‘debtor (as defined in section 1182)’’ for ‘‘small business debt- or’’. 2019—Subsecs. (i) to (l). Pub. L. 116–54 added subsec. (i) and redesignated former subsecs. (i) to (k) as (j) to (l), respectively. 2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–327 substituted ‘‘362(o)’’ for ‘‘362(n)’’. 2005—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–8, § 802(a)(1), inserted ‘‘, and this chapter, sections 307, 362(n), 555 through 557, and 559 through 562 apply in a case under chapter 15’’ before period. Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 109–8, § 802(a)(2), added subsec. (k). 2000—Subsecs. (e) to (j). Pub. L. 106–554 added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsecs. (e) to (i) as (f) to (j), respectively. 1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–554, § 252(1), inserted ref- erence to chapter 12. Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 99–554, § 252(2), added subsec. (i). 1984—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 98–353 substituted ‘‘stock- broker’’ for ‘‘stockholder’’. 1982—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–222 struck out ‘‘except with respect to section 746(c) which applies to margin payments made by any debtor to a commodity broker or forward contract merchant’’ after ‘‘concerning a commodity broker’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2019 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 116–54 effective 180 days after Aug. 23, 2019, see section 5 of Pub. L. 116–54, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2005 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 109–8 effective 180 days after Apr. 20, 2005, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under this title before such effective date, except as otherwise provided, see section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1986 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 99–554 effective 30 days after Oct. 27, 1986, but not applicable to cases commenced under this title before that date, see section 302(a), (c)(1) of Pub. L. 99–554, set out as a note under section 581 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1984 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 98–353 effective with respect to cases filed 90 days after July 10, 1984, see section 552(a) of Pub. L. 98–353, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. § 104. Adjustment of dollar amounts (a) On April 1, 1998, and at each 3-year interval ending on April 1 thereafter, each dollar amount in effect under sections 101(3), 101(18), 101(19A), 101(51D), 109(e), 303(b), 507(a), 522(d), 522(f)(3) and 522(f)(4), 522(n), 522(p), 522(q), 523(a)(2)(C), 541(b), 547(c)(9), 707(b), 1182(1), 1322(d), 1325(b), and 1326(b)(3) of this title and section 1409(b) of title 28 immediately before such April 1 shall be ad- justed— (1) to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, pub- lished by the Department of Labor, for the most recent 3-year period ending immediately before January 1 preceding such April 1, and (2) to round to the nearest $25 the dollar amount that represents such change. (b) Not later than March 1, 1998, and at each 3- year interval ending on March 1 thereafter, the Judicial Conference of the United States shall publish in the Federal Register the dollar amounts that will become effective on such April 1 under sections 101(3), 101(18), 101(19A), 101(51D), 109(e), 303(b), 507(a), 522(d), 522(f)(3) and 522(f)(4), 522(n), 522(p), 522(q), 523(a)(2)(C), 541(b), 547(c)(9), 707(b), 1182(1), 1322(d), 1325(b), and 1326(b)(3) of this title and section 1409(b) of title 28. (c) Adjustments made in accordance with sub- section (a) shall not apply with respect to cases commenced before the date of such adjustments. (Pub. L. 95–598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2555; Pub. L. 103–394, title I, § 108(e), Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4112; Pub. L. 109–8, title I, § 102(j), title II, §§ 224(e)(2), 226(b), title III, § 322(b), title IV, § 432(c), title X, § 1002, title XII, § 1202, Apr. 20, 2005, 119 Stat. 35, 65, 67, 97, 110, 186, 193; Pub. L. 110–406, § 7, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4293; Pub. L. 117–151, § 2(b), June 21, 2022, 136 Stat. 1298.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES LEGISLATIVE STATEMENTS Section 104 represents a compromise between the House bill and the Senate amendment with respect to the adjustment of dollar amounts in title 11. The House amendment authorizes the Judicial Conference of the United States to transmit a recommendation for the uniform percentage of adjustment for each dollar amount in title 11 and in 28 U.S.C. 1930 to the Congress and to the President before May 1, 1985, and before May 1 of every sixth year thereafter. The requirement in the House bill that each such recommendation be based only on any change in the cost-of-living increase during the period immediately preceding the recommendation is deleted. SENATE REPORT NO. 95–989 This section requires that the Director of the Admin- istrative Office of the U. S. Courts report to Congress and the President before Oct. 1, 1985, and before May 1 every 6 years thereafter a recommendation for adjust- ment in dollar amounts found in this title. The Com- mittee feels that regular adjustment of the dollar amounts by the Director will conserve congressional time and yet assure that the relative dollar amounts used in the bill are maintained. Changes in the cost of living should be a significant, but not necessarily the only, factor considered by the Director. The fact that there has been an increase in the cost of living does not necessarily mean that an adjustment of dollar amounts would be needed or warranted. HOUSE REPORT NO. 95–595 This section requires the Judicial Conference to re- port to the Congress every four years after the effective date of the bankruptcy code any changes that have oc- curred in the cost of living during the preceding four years, and the appropriate adjustments to the dollar amounts in the bill. The dollar amounts are found pri- marily in the exemption section (11 U.S.C. 522), the