Skip to main content
S 4305 116th Congress Senate Finance and Financial Sector Bankruptcy Cardiovascular and respiratory health Cemeteries and funerals Consumer credit Emergency medical services and trauma care Health care costs and insurance Higher education Housing finance and home ownership Infectious and parasitic diseases Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations Student aid and college costs Unemployment Wages and earnings

Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2020

Introduced: July 23, 2020 Introduced by: Whitehouse, Sheldon Democratic · Rhode Island See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) 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
Jul 23, 2020
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Jul 23, 2020
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2020

This bill amends federal bankruptcy law to allow a medically distressed debtor to exempt, from the property of the estate in bankruptcy, up to $250,000 of the debtor's aggregate interest in (1) specified real or personal property that the debtor or debtor's dependent uses as a residence, (2) a cooperative that owns such property, or (3) a burial plot for the debtor or debtor's dependent.

With respect to a medically distressed debtor, the bill waives certain administrative and procedural requirements.

In addition, the bill allows a medically distressed debtor to discharge in bankruptcy debts for certain educational loans.

A debtor who seeks relief as a medically distressed debtor must attest in writing, under penalty of perjury, that the debtor's medical expenses are genuine and were not specifically incurred to bring the debtor within the meaning of a medically distressed debtor under this bill.

What's happening now July 23, 2020

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 3
D
Baldwin, Tammy
Wisconsin · Jul 23, 2020
 D
Durbin, Richard J.
Illinois · Jul 23, 2020
 D
Warren, Elizabeth
Massachusetts · Jul 23, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 4305: Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-4305/
MLA
"S. 4305: Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-4305/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 4305, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-4305/.
Markdown link
[S. 4305: Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-4305/)
Report a problem