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S 2004 108th Congress Senate

Protection of Family Farmers and Family Fisherman Act of 2003

Official title: A bill to permanently reenact chapter 12 of title 11, United States Code, and for other purposes.

Introduced: February 25, 2004 Introduced by: Grassley, Chuck Republican · Iowa See on congress.gov
Finance and Financial Sector Agricultural creditAgriculture and FoodAquacultureBankruptcy
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
CommerceDebtDebtor and creditorEconomics and Public FinanceFamiliesFamily enterprisesFamily farmsFarm incomeFarmersFisheriesFishing boatsGovernment lendingIndexing (Economic policy)LawMarine and coastal resources, fisheries
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Dec 9, 2003
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Dec 9, 2003
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action December 9, 2003

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Protection of Family Farmers and Family Fishermen Act of 2003 - 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).

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 a farming operation.

Modifies 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. Allows the family farmer to meet the over-50-percent requirement in either the preceding taxable year or each of the second and third preceding taxable years.

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.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 2004: Protection of Family Farmers and Family Fisherman Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2004/
MLA
"S. 2004: Protection of Family Farmers and Family Fisherman Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2004/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 2004, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2004/.
Markdown link
[S. 2004: Protection of Family Farmers and Family Fisherman Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-S-2004/)
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