Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) issued the following statement after the Committee voted to advance four pieces of legislation to the full House of Representatives:

"The vital legislation passed by the Judiciary Committee today will expand protections for servicemembers, veterans, and their families, as well as reform our nation’s bankruptcy laws to prioritize essential workers, retirees, student loan borrowers and homeowners over major corporations. I am particularly proud that two bills which I authored- the Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act and the Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act- were passed with overwhelming support. I thank all the members for their work, and I urge passage of these bills by the full House of Representatives.”

The Committee favorably reported the following bills:

H.R. 8354, the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020

The Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act, introduced by Representative Veronica Escobar (D-TX), would permanently establish a Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The bill would also require the appointment of a liaison to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division to coordinate Federal prosecutions of cases involving fraud against servicemembers. The bill was passed out of the Committee by a voice vote.

H.R. 7370, the Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2020

The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act, introduced by Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would protect the interests of workers and retirees in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. It also makes it more difficult for employers to reject collective bargaining agreements and reduce employee benefits during reorganization, and it explicitly clarifies that the purpose of Chapter 11 bankruptcy is to preserve jobs to the maximum extent possible. The bill was voted out of Committee by a vote of 20-10

H.R. 2648, the Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act of 2020

The Student Borrower Bankruptcy Relief Act, introduced by Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would allow student loan debt to be discharged in bankruptcy, just like nearly all other forms of consumer debt. The bill was voted out of Committee by a vote of 19-5.

H.R. 8366, the Protecting Homeowners in Bankruptcy Act of 2020

The Protecting Homeowners in Bankruptcy Act, introduced by Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA), would increase the federal homestead exemption to $100,000, and would allow states to use their own, more generous homestead exemptions, as many already do. The bill was voted out of Committee by a vote of 18-5.