<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="billres.xsl"?>
<!DOCTYPE bill PUBLIC "-//US Congress//DTDs/bill.dtd//EN" "bill.dtd">
<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H711F4BB7BCA2405C82299857DC935F9C" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dublinCore>
<dc:title>119 HR 8589 IH: Closing Bankruptcy Loopholes for Child Predators Act of 2026</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2026-04-29</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
</dublinCore>
</metadata>
<form>
<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">2d Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 8589</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20260429">April 29, 2026</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="R000305">Ms. Ross</sponsor> (for herself, <cosponsor name-id="T000478">Ms. Tenney</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S001223">Mrs. Sykes</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="D000594">Ms. De La Cruz</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HJU00">Committee on the Judiciary</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To amend title 11 of the United States Code to address misuse of bankruptcy proceedings in cases of child sex abuse, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body id="H3C22AFF2CA7947538FA9F9A7C27A8968" style="OLC"> 
<section id="H3741EA533B9044F1B6C7878335BFF5D6" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Closing Bankruptcy Loopholes for Child Predators Act of 2026</short-title></quote>.</text></section> <section id="HA325DA0A0BD64F129CD8501FF5EE1EC0"><enum>2.</enum><header>Amendments</header> <subsection id="H05A76A170D7047DB8E1399FF0772EB0C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Amendments</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Title 11, United States Code, is amended—</text> 
<paragraph id="HC1345733175247FB801A9E0E3DC58D70"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in section 101—</text> <subparagraph id="H1385F222B78B4DBB91BC7D16F82FF578"><enum>(A)</enum><text> by redesignating paragraphs (51B), (51C), and (51D) as paragraphs (51C), (51D), and (51E), respectively, and</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H69D5A58DE60841D4A14F6DD969DDED27"><enum>(B)</enum><text> by inserting after paragraph (51A) the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H52080EBCE2814792AB0AEC09813F13C2" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <paragraph id="H02A5FA358D8848FAA5A928B21CED3DCE"><enum>(51B)</enum><text>The term ‘sexual abuse of a child’ means any act that—</text> 
<subparagraph id="HAAB8C72EED504BC28DA1BF82AB53A2C6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>constitutes a violation of—</text> <clause id="H29472988E51C4A64B9A499DEFB4440AB"><enum>(i)</enum><text>section 1589, 1590, 1591, 2241(c), 2242, 2243, 2251, 2251A, 2252, 2252A, 2260, 2421, 2422, or 2423, 2258, or 2258A, of title 18;</text></clause> 
<clause id="HBCF6F86F3C554C728113343B3DA4F4DF"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>section 20341 of title 34; or</text></clause> <clause id="H1F4EF48F4F264881965589B06CA5D205"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>a non-Federal law that is similar to a law described in clause (i); and</text></clause></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HC52DF535975041B4A57CCBEB77A6727D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by reason of the conduct prohibited, a person who, while a minor, was aggrieved.”;</text></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H9B6E6A125F68422A9FAFFC48FDDB33C7"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in section 1109—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H8D2215ADA5F4419989A9D1D38028FA91"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by adding at the end of subsection (b) the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H9D5DEBCC00474F709DBD20FF7734AF51" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <quoted-block-continuation-text quoted-block-continuation-text-level="section">In any case in which a claim is filed against the debtor arising out of the alleged sexual abuse of a child, the court shall hold a conference within 60 days of the deadline by which proofs of claim must be filed to consider victim impact statements.</quoted-block-continuation-text><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HE471EEDC6C114DA981C1FAC7E61F3BA9"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text> 
<quoted-block id="H7D54D92C41E444A5AAE7DB8817BB3150" style="OLC"> 
<subsection id="H903A6D4957A34F4E8651FFFBED343348"><enum>(c)</enum><text>The sole purpose of victim impact statements shall be to increase engagement and understanding between the bankruptcy court and victims or survivors of child sexual assault. To encourage candor, and thus enhance the utility of victim impact statements, the information provided through victim impact statements is not, and shall not be used as, evidence by any person in the case.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H5DA0D6E407C24A439FB98890D79E866D"><enum>(3)</enum><text>in section 1101—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H67DD6CF3D0BA4F1494454745E83270D4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in paragraph (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting <quote>; and</quote>, and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H4B43DEABCCE741408C030C0037B6EAA0"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at end the following:</text> 
<quoted-block id="HA2DF5205FCCF4AA791B046D9A4FF8D1C" style="OLC"> 
<paragraph id="H25869D634C644414BEA524A1F51A2A7B"><enum>(3)</enum><text><quote>victim impact statement</quote> means a voluntary written, oral, video, or audio statement, submitted to, or presented to the court in the name of the victim or under a pseudonym, describing the emotional, physical, familial, or financial impact suffered as a result of the sexual abuse of the victim who is a creditor of the debtor in a chapter 11 proceeding.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="HB65ABE2E25264577A97C43AF14096B53"><enum>(4)</enum><text>in section 541 by adding at end the following:</text> 
<quoted-block id="HEA04571BD2DE40C99503AE4D0F295016" style="OLC"> 
<subsection id="H449B67F18C6E4CF5A9043CF8E0FFC5AB"><enum>(g)</enum><text>In all cases regarding debts or other financial liability arising from allegations of sexual abuse of a child and involving debtors that are organizations described in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/501">section 501(c)(3)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code, the Court shall engage the services of an independent forensic accountant to review the assets and interests of such debtor, and any nondebtor sought to be released from liability in a proposed reorganization plan, and require preparation of a report to assist the Court with ensuring that such assets and interests are properly included or excluded from the estate.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph> <paragraph id="H9F820113777C44D4946D1C0C1EFAAAF3"><enum>(5)</enum><text>in section 107—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H0BD8A2DF9DE348C293A6FD1029E29596"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subsection (b) by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block id="H7732329AC7CB42F68EDD9E343535F74B" style="OLC"> <paragraph id="HE873589DAADA4F46888736B493299A92"><enum>(4)</enum><text>This subsection shall not apply to cases regarding debts or other financial liability arising from potential liability stemming from allegations of sexual abuse of a child except to the extent necessary to protect the identity and personal information of the individual alleging to have been abused unless the alleged offender is found not guilty of abuse in a court of law.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HBB6197196F4441D1A76A4EFA59A59EEB"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block id="HCDFECEB02FA6441BAA9FC35ED426A401" style="OLC"> <subsection id="H3E842488126447E09D72D82A998D9078"><enum>(d)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No court order shall seal any evidence of alleged crimes relating to the sexual abuse of a child other than to protect the identity and personal information of the individual alleging to have been abused unless the alleged offender is found not guilty of abuse in a court of law.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HD2CDB7DEB2784FBA8A6E5F284C585198"><enum>(6)</enum><text>in section 362(b)(2)(A)—</text> <subparagraph id="H5267272C1706469DA7AED5AECB2F7E10"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in clause (iv) by striking <quote>or</quote> at the end;</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H1476BF47D7104F9E988182701888FE19"><enum>(B)</enum><text>in clause (v) by adding <quote>or</quote> at the end; and</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HDC057C4E599442D5B5A35799E03AB8DB"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at end the following:</text> 
<quoted-block id="H70B9C84670C643B4A276A39B57DE54CB" style="OLC"> 
<clause id="H94A944AAC8C24922BDCD3F72CA17FBBC"><enum>(vi)</enum><text>concerning the sexual abuse of a child or related claims;</text></clause><after-quoted-block>; </after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="HB01C4D79D9F04451A94C33147155532B"><enum>(7)</enum><text>in section 524(g)(2)(B)—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H274236F0F19E4D8F91E3126602FB05F9" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in clause (i) by inserting <quote>or relating to the sexual abuse of a child:</quote> after <quote>reorganization</quote>;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HE9CE75455D70400C871031B4D9037ACF"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline"> after clause (ii) by adding the following:</text> 
<quoted-block id="H302DE3473169477EBF8275E4E9C9F134" style="OLC"> 
<clause id="H98072035FE2546B49702462F79279366"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in any case regarding potential debts or other financial liabilities arising from allegations of sexual abuse of a child—</text> <subclause id="H15B4EA1717AF420AAD0FA1B6B69C21AC"><enum>(I)</enum><text>No third-party release shall be approved by the court without affirmative consent of both the debtor and at least ninety percent of the creditors in interest entitled to vote and who do vote. The court shall ensure that the parties have been given adequate notice and opportunity to provide or withhold such consent.</text></subclause> 
<subclause id="H34E6DF3DF2A1414FB317056580FE765A"><enum>(II)</enum><text>Any third-party seeking the benefit of a release under this chapter shall provide sufficient information to allow an average creditor to make an informed decision about the release.</text></subclause></clause><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> </subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HB5C39D12E0184ECB91B082D52DF70174" commented="no"><enum>(C)</enum><text> in clause (ii)—</text> 
<clause id="H5B9C437544F14A02B8B4FAEFC065046A" commented="no"><enum>(i)</enum><text>by striking <quote>subject</quote> and all that follows through <quote>that—</quote> and inserting the following:</text> <quoted-block id="H61C4CA0565754A14A6D429083010B072" style="OLC"> <after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H124CC189D4054F9E8260A2C934378BF6" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <quoted-block-continuation-text quoted-block-continuation-text-level="subparagraph" commented="no">except in the case of a plan reorganization filed by a debtor organized described in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/501">section 501(c)(3)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code to resolve claims alleging sexual abuse of a child, subject to subsection (h), the court determines that—</quoted-block-continuation-text><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause> <clause id="H61D0755AFBBF4466888A3FC498C8EE87" commented="no"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by amending subclause (IV)(bb) to read as follows:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" id="H2DFA5B3D2F3A407EA11B0394B54F3848" display-inline="no-display-inline"> 
<item id="H5B41068267EF44B98EA664EFF5F73B5C" commented="no"><enum>(bb) </enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a separate class or classes of claimants whose claims are to be addressed by a trust described in clause (i) is established and votes, by at least 75 percent of those voting, in favor of the plan or, if the debtor is an organization described in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/501">section 501(c)(3)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code which has filed a case under chapter 11 of this title to resolve claims alleging sexual abuse of a child, by at least 90 percent of a separate class or classes of the claimants whose claims are to be addressed by a trust described in clause (i).</text></item><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H3F603FBFF02D40A388E2FDE5A1AC23FF"><enum>(D)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">by adding at the end of section 524(g)(4)(A)(ii) the following:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" id="H9F977EEB2A5440D18B1A81AE46068059" display-inline="no-display-inline"> 
<subclause id="H7B4A23876C61427ABCBB39308C460328"><enum>(V) </enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the third party being an affiliate of the debtor.</text></subclause><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H5C33FC2780134DA1A46F8A4CD2327469" commented="no"><enum>(E)</enum><text>by adding at the end of section 524(g)(1)(C) the following:</text> 
<quoted-block style="OLC" id="H82A3DC6CB4CA428BAA5E6405EF5C679C" display-inline="no-display-inline"> 
<quoted-block-continuation-text quoted-block-continuation-text-level="subparagraph">Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if the debtor is an organization described in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/501">section 501(c)(3)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code which has filed for a case under chapter 11 of this title to resolve claims alleging sexual abuse of a child, any third party who is identifiable from the terms of a plan of reorganization (by name or as part of an identifiable group) and is alleged to be directly or indirectly liable for the conduct of, claims against, or demands on the debtor, may be released from such liability if a separate class or classes of the claimants whose claims are to be addressed by a trust described in clause (i) is established votes, by at least 90 percent of those voting, in favor of the plan.</quoted-block-continuation-text><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HF09BF191A15D442F95E8EAD4BA0F2A43"><enum>(8)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in section 1111 by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H0F8331B3A0504E4482C8015D16AD5F55" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <subsection id="HE4AE451132C84A688C591E4859FBBF1D"><enum>(c)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Claims relating to sexual abuse of a child are deemed timely filed regardless of and notwithstanding the State statute of limitation otherwise applicable to the claims</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>;</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HA30A8E8F355E4B5E8FC5BFBA5E767B10"><enum>(9)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in section 523(a)(20)—</text> <subparagraph id="H2741A1CF6B5E421C9259B35FF17686EA"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by designating subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H55E97817A2F04F34B99CE8A9C730493E"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding after subsection (a) the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="HC626D6FEFCF448C08B57CF8DB5E2137A" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <subsection id="H6318865AC478425D8BCA5236412DF252"><enum>(b)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">No debtor shall receive a discharge under section 727, 1141, 1192 [1] 1228(a), 1228(b), or 1328(b) of this title, or qualify for any form of discharge, injunction, or release under a plan of reorganization or otherwise, with respect to any claim or debt arising from the sexual abuse of a minor in instances where such debtor was either responsible for the sexual abuse of a minor directly or acted with gross negligence for the safety of the abused minor(s) at issue. This shall apply to all debtors regardless of whether such debtors are an individual, a corporation. a limited partnership, a nonprofit entity, or any other person or entity seeking relief under this title.</text> </subsection><after-quoted-block> and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H8543F0B2455B45E8914A9E099250E100"><enum>(10)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in section 1181 by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H24FE7D2BBA5B457F99B1688691833DC8" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <subsection id="H7EA22FB8F558414FB7D4F6ADA3FB49CC"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Prohibition on claims related to child sexual abuse</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no subchapter 5 filings shall be permitted for claims arising from or related to child sexual abuse.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="H38A02AF89AB44D0E8635F17A73419F74"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The table of sections for <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/11/1">chapter 1</external-xref> of title 11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:</text> <quoted-block id="H6D57D87A915641C79FE981964939129D" style="OLC"> <toc regeneration="no-regeneration"> <toc-entry level="section">113. Suspension of stay without consent.</toc-entry></toc><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection></section> <section id="H88193F316AB646239CC45A45B6FDE1CF"><enum>3.</enum><header>Amendments to the Federal rules of bankruptcy procedure</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure (11 U.S.C. app.) are amended—</text> 
<paragraph id="H501DFF16EB1B419F9B075A0B1D380DD6"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in rule 2004—</text> <subparagraph id="HFFCA3576E99144DAA93D00655F100305"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking the period at the end of (b)(2)(C) and inserting <quote>; and</quote>;</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H602E868A41F242008F384D10A4CC8D2D"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by adding after (b)(2)(C) the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H00BDC6049E6B415BA8D5D04567221230" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <subparagraph id="HF183B24C8C1B4B3AA882F886C3567D4C"><enum>(D) </enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In a reorganization case under chapter 11 of the Code related to the alleged sexual abuse of a child, the examination shall also relate to the abuse allegations against the debtor and any affiliated entity, remedial policies and responses to those allegations, information on the debtor or an affiliated entity’s finances and financial projections, and any other matter relevant to the case or to the formulation of a plan.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H1CE09D59424C45B982F3C04E23CE031F"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by adding at the end of subsection (c) the following:</text> <quoted-block style="OLC" id="H305531E87C32461A982C889D21C30095" display-inline="no-display-inline"> <quoted-block-continuation-text quoted-block-continuation-text-level="section">In a reorganization case under chapter 11 of the Code related to the alleged sexual abuse of a child, debtor attendance for examination and the production of documents or electronically stored information is required.</quoted-block-continuation-text><after-quoted-block>; and</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="HC85E75BCA7814B20AC24E19273C5D9F3"><enum>(2)</enum><text>in rule 9018 by adding at the end the following:</text> 
<quoted-block id="H76553A0105844D2B90A85D2F15543C8F" style="OLC"> 
<subsection id="H5F1459068EE444AFB03A9871F55BEC92"><enum>(c)</enum><text>In no respect shall any court order seal any evidence of alleged crimes relating to the sexual abuse of a child other than to protect the identity and personal information of the individual alleging to have been abused unless the alleged offender is found not guilty of abuse in a court of law.</text></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></section> </legis-body></bill>

