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HR 5348 107th Congress House Finance and Financial Sector Agricultural credit Agriculture and Food Aquaculture Bankruptcy Commerce Debt Debtor and creditor Economics and Public Finance Families Family enterprises Family farms Farm income Farmers Fisheries Fishing boats Government lending Indexing (Economic policy) Law Marine and coastal resources, fisheries

Family Farmers and Family Fishermen Protection Act of 2002

Introduced: September 9, 2002 Introduced by: Baldwin, Tammy Democratic · Wisconsin See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 7, 2002
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
Sep 9, 2002
Introduced in House
Sep 9, 2002
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Family Farmers and Family Fishermen Protection Act of 2002 - Amends the Federal Bankruptcy Code to reenact Chapter 12, Adjustment of Debts of a Family Farmer with Regular Annual Income (thus reinstating permanently family farmer bankruptcy relief).

Provides periodic adjustments for inflation of the debt limit for family farmers.

Cites circumstances under which the claim of a governmental unit that arises from the disposition of a farm asset used in the debtor's farming operation shall be treated as an unsecured claim not entitled to priority.

Increases from $1.5 million to $3.237 million the maximum aggregate debt that permits a farming operation to qualify as a family farming operation for debt adjustment purposes. Decreases from 80 percent to 50 percent the minimum percentage of aggregate, noncontingent liquidated debts arising out of such farming operation.

Repeals the requirement that a family farmer and spouse receive over 50 percent of income from farming operations in the year before a bankruptcy petition is filed.

Prohibits: (1) retroactive assessment of disposable income; and (2) post-confirmation modification of a bankruptcy plan that would increase the amount of payments that were due before such modification. Requires debtor's consent for post-confirmation increase in payments.

Extends Chapter 12 coverage to family fishermen whose aggregate debts do not exceed $1.5 million, of which at least 80 percent of aggregate noncontingent, liquidated debts arise out of a commercial fishing operation.

What's happening now October 7, 2002

Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2