debts, the clerk shall give to such individual written notice 
containing—
‘‘(1) a brief description of—
‘‘(A) chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13 and the 
general purpose, benefits, and costs of pro-
ceeding under each of those chapters; and 
‘‘(B) the types of services available from 
credit counseling agencies; and 
‘‘(2) statements specifying that—
‘‘(A) a person who knowingly and fraudu-
lently conceals assets or makes a false oath or 
statement under penalty of perjury in connec-
tion with a case under this title shall be subject 
to fine, imprisonment, or both; and 
‘‘(B) all information supplied by a debtor 
in connection with a case under this title is sub-
ject to examination by the Attorney General.’’. 
SEC. 105. DEBTOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING 
TEST PROGRAM. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT
OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 
AND TRAINING CURRICULUM AND MATERIALS.—The Di-
rector of the Executive Office for United States Trustees 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Director’’) shall consult 
with a wide range of individuals who are experts in the 
field of debtor education, including trustees who serve in
cases under chapter 13 of title 11, United States Code, 
and who operate financial management education pro-
grams for debtors, and shall develop a financial manage-
ment training curriculum and materials that can be used 
to educate debtors who are individuals on how to better 
manage their finances. 
(b) TEST.—
(1) SELECTION OF DISTRICTS.—The Director 
shall select 6 judicial districts of the United States 
in which to test the effectiveness of the financial 
management training curriculum and materials de-
veloped under subsection (a). 
(2) USE.—For an 18-month period beginning 
not later than 270 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, such curriculum and materials 
shall be, for the 6 judicial districts selected under 
paragraph (1), used as the instructional course con-
cerning personal financial management for purposes 
of section 111 of title 11, United States Code. 
(c) EVALUATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—During the 18-month period 
referred to in subsection (b), the Director shall 
evaluate the effectiveness of—
(A) the financial management training cur-
riculum and materials developed under sub-
section (a); and 
(B) a sample of existing consumer edu-
cation programs such as those described in the 
Report of the National Bankruptcy Review 
Commission (October 20, 1997) that are rep-
resentative of consumer education programs 
carried out by the credit industry, by trustees 
serving under chapter 13 of title 11, United 
States Code, and by consumer counseling 
groups. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 3 months after 
concluding such evaluation, the Director shall sub-
mit a report to the Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the President pro tempore of the 
Senate, for referral to the appropriate committees of 
the Congress, containing the findings of the Director 
regarding the effectiveness of such curriculum, such 
materials, and such programs and their costs. 
SEC. 106. CREDIT COUNSELING. 
(a) WHO MAY BE A DEBTOR.—Section 109 of title 
11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
‘‘(h)(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), and not-
withstanding any other provision of this section, an indi-
vidual may not be a debtor under this title unless such 
individual has, during the 180-day period preceding the 
date of filing of the petition by such individual, received 
from an approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling 
agency described in section 111(a) an individual or group 
briefing (including a briefing conducted by telephone or 
on the Internet) that outlined the opportunities for avail-
able credit counseling and assisted such individual in per-
forming a related budget analysis. 
‘‘(2)(A) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect 
to a debtor who resides in a district for which the United 
States trustee (or the bankruptcy administrator, if any) 
determines that the approved nonprofit budget and credit 
counseling agencies for such district are not reasonably 
able to provide adequate services to the additional individ-
uals who would otherwise seek credit counseling from such 
agencies by reason of the requirements of paragraph (1). 
‘‘(B) The United States trustee (or the bankruptcy 
administrator, if any) who makes a determination de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) shall review such determina-
tion not later than 1 year after the date of such deter-
mination, and not less frequently than annually thereafter. 
Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a nonprofit
budget and credit counseling agency may be disapproved 
by the United States trustee (or the bankruptcy adminis-
trator, if any) at any time. 
‘‘(3)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), the require-
ments of paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to 
a debtor who submits to the court a certification that—
‘‘(i) describes exigent circumstances that merit 
a waiver of the requirements of paragraph (1); 
‘‘(ii) states that the debtor requested credit 
counseling services from an approved nonprofit 
budget and credit counseling agency, but was unable 
to obtain the services referred to in paragraph (1) 
during the 5-day period beginning on the date on 
which the debtor made that request; and 
‘‘(iii) is satisfactory to the court. 
‘‘(B) With respect to a debtor, an exemption under 
subparagraph (A) shall cease to apply to that debtor on 
the date on which the debtor meets the requirements of 
paragraph (1), but in no case may the exemption apply 
to that debtor after the date that is 30 days after the debt-
or files a petition, except that the court, for cause, may 
order an additional 15 days.’’. 
(b) CHAPTER 7 DISCHARGE.—Section 727(a) of title 
11, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in paragraph (9), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (10), by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(11) after filing the petition, the debtor failed 
to complete an instructional course concerning per-
sonal financial management described in section 
111, except that this paragraph shall not apply with 
respect to a debtor who resides in a district for 
which the United States trustee (or the bankruptcy 
administrator, if any) determines that the approved 
instructional courses are not adequate to service the 
additional individuals who would otherwise be re-
quired to complete such instructional courses under 
this section (The United States trustee (or the bank-
ruptcy administrator, if any) who makes a deter-
mination described in this paragraph shall review 
such determination not later than 1 year after the 
date of such determination, and not less frequently 
than annually thereafter.).’’. 
(c) CHAPTER 13 DISCHARGE.—Section 1328 of title 
11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
‘‘(g)(1) The court shall not grant a discharge under 
this section to a debtor unless after filing a petition the 
debtor has completed an instructional course concerning 
personal financial management described in section 111. 
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to 
a debtor who resides in a district for which the United 
States trustee (or the bankruptcy administrator, if any) 
determines that the approved instructional courses are not 
adequate to service the additional individuals who would 
otherwise be required to complete such instructional 
course by reason of the requirements of paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) The United States trustee (or the bankruptcy 
administrator, if any) who makes a determination de-
scribed in paragraph (2) shall review such determination 
not later than 1 year after the date of such determination, 
and not less frequently than annually thereafter.’’. 
(d) DEBTOR’S DUTIES.—Section 521 of title 11, 
United States Code, is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘The debtor 
shall—’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) In addition to the requirements under subsection 
(a), a debtor who is an individual shall file with the 
court—
‘‘(1) a certificate from the approved nonprofit 
budget and credit counseling agency that provided 
the debtor services under section 109(h) describing 
the services provided to the debtor; and 
‘‘(2) a copy of the debt repayment plan, if any, 
developed under section 109(h) through the ap-
proved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agen-
cy referred to in paragraph (1).’’. 
(e) GENERAL PROVISIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 11, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘§ 111. Nonprofit budget and credit counseling agen-
cies; financial management instructional 
courses 
‘‘(a) The clerk shall maintain a publicly available list 
of—
‘‘(1) nonprofit budget and credit counseling 
agencies that provide 1 or more services described in 
section 109(h) currently approved by the United 
States trustee (or the bankruptcy administrator, if 
any); and 
‘‘(2) instructional courses concerning personal 
financial management currently approved by the
United States trustee (or the bankruptcy adminis-
trator, if any), as applicable. 
‘‘(b) The United States trustee (or bankruptcy ad-
ministrator, if any) shall only approve a nonprofit budget 
and credit counseling agency or an instructional course 
concerning personal financial management as follows: 
‘‘(1) The United States trustee (or bankruptcy 
administrator, if any) shall have thoroughly reviewed 
the qualifications of the nonprofit budget and credit 
counseling agency or of the provider of the instruc-
tional course under the standards set forth in this 
section, and the services or instructional courses 
that will be offered by such agency or such provider, 
and may require such agency or such provider that 
has sought approval to provide information with re-
spect to such review. 
‘‘(2) The United States trustee (or bankruptcy 
administrator, if any) shall have determined that 
such agency or such instructional course fully satis-
fies the applicable standards set forth in this section. 
‘‘(3) If a nonprofit budget and credit counseling 
agency or instructional course did not appear on the 
approved list for the district under subsection (a) 
immediately before approval under this section, ap-
proval under this subsection of such agency or such