H.R. 5133: Protecting Employees and Retirees in Municipal Bankruptcies Act of 2014

113th Congress · introduced 2014-07-17 · Finance and Financial Sector · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2014-07-17 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting Employees and Retirees in Municipal Bankruptcies Act of 2014

Plain summary

Protecting Employees and Retirees in Municipal Bankruptcies Act of 2014 - Amends federal bankruptcy law with respect to the requirement for a municipality to be a debtor under Chapter 9 (Adjustment of Debts of a Municipality) that the municipality has negotiated in good faith with creditors and failed to obtain the agreement of those holding at least a majority in amount of the claims of each class that the municipality intends to impair under a plan. Requires that, with respect to creditors who are the municipality's employees or retirees, "good faith" has the same meaning as it does in the National Labor Relations Act. Requires the municipality also to establish by clear and convincing evidence that it satisfies all eligibility criteria. Repeals the limitation placed upon on court authority to issue a stay pending an appeal of an order for relief. Amends the Judicial Code to confer upon the appropriate court of appeals jurisdiction of any appeal of a bankruptcy court determination that an entity is eligible to be a municipal debtor. Requires the appellate court to consider and determine such appeal on an expedited basis as a direct appeal, which shall be reviewed and heard de novo on the merits. Requires the court to confirm the bankruptcy plan of a municipality which modifies a collective bargaining agreement or a retiree benefit in any manner otherwise prohibited by nonbankruptcy law if the plan is agreed to by the authorized representative of either the employees covered by collective bargaining or the individuals receiving the retiree benefits. Designates the labor organization signatory to a collective bargaining agreement as the authorized representative of individuals receiving retiree benefits covered by that agreement. Sets forth procedures for court appointment of an authorized representative if a labor organization elects not to serve as one, or if the retired employees are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting Employees and Retirees in Municipal Bankruptcies Act of 2014

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-113hr5133.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/113/hr>

Record fed-us-cong113-hr5133 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113