I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3697 
To amend title 11 of the United States Code to provide relief with respect 
to disaster-related debts incurred by victims of Hurricane Katrina and 
other natural disasters. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 8, 2005 
Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. WATT, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. NAD-
LER, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, 
Mrs. MALONEY, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. LEE, Ms. LINDA T. 
SA´NCHEZ of California, Ms. CARSON, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. ZOE 
LOFGREN of California, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SCOTT of Vir-
ginia, Ms. WOOLSEY, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. 
DELAHUNT, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. EMANUEL, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. 
SANDERS, Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Ms. WATSON, and Mrs. CAPPS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary 
A BILL 
To amend title 11 of the United States Code to provide 
relief with respect to disaster-related debts incurred by 
victims of Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Hurricane Katrina 
Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 
2005’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS; WHO MAY BE A DEBTOR. 
(a) 
CURRENT
MONTHLY
INCOME.—Section 
101(10A)(B) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and payments’’ and inserting 
‘‘payments’’, and 
(2) by inserting before the period at the end ‘‘, 
and payments to victims of a natural disaster on ac-
count of their status as victims of a natural dis-
aster’’. 
(b) 
NATURAL
DISASTER; 
NATURAL
DISASTER 
ZONE.—Section 101 of title 11, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (40A) and 
(40B) as paragraphs (40C) and (40D), respectively, 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (40) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(40A) The term ‘natural disaster’ means— 
‘‘(A) a major disaster, as defined in section 
102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act; or
‘‘(B) a situation similar to such a major 
disaster (as so defined), with respect to which 
a determination is made in accordance with 
State law that such situation exists. 
‘‘(40B) The term ‘natural disaster zone’ means 
the geographical area included in the determination 
of a natural disaster.’’. 
(c) VICTIM OF NATURAL DISASTER.—Section 101 of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(56) The term ‘victim of a natural disaster’ 
means a person— 
‘‘(A) whose financial condition is materi-
ally adversely affected by a natural disaster; 
and 
‘‘(B) whose domicile, residence, or prin-
cipal place of business in the United States, or 
whose principal assets in the United States, are 
located in a natural disaster zone immediately 
preceding the event that caused the natural dis-
aster exists.’’. 
(d) WHO MAY BE A DEBTOR.—Section 109(h)(4) of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
‘‘natural disaster,’’ after ‘‘disability,’’.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 3. 
Section 362(b)(22) of title 11, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting ‘‘(excluding a debtor who is victim 
of a natural disaster)’’ after ‘‘debtor’’ the 1st place it ap-
pears. 
SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 5. 
Section 521 of title 11, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) The Court may extend any time period specified 
in this section as may be necessary if— 
‘‘(1) the debtor is a victim of a natural disaster; 
and 
‘‘(2) the debtor’s status as a victim of a natural 
disaster necessitates such extension of time.’’. 
SEC. 5. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 7. 
(a) 
DEBTOR’S
MONTHLY
EXPENSES.—Section 
707(b)(2)(A)(ii) of title 11, United States Code, is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(IV) In addition, the debtor’s monthly expenses may 
include the actual reasonably necessary expenses incurred 
as a result of being a victim of a natural disaster.’’. 
(b) LIMITATION ON CONVERSION OF CASE.—Section 
707(b)(2) of title 11, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) Subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) shall not 
apply, and the court may not dismiss or convert a case
under section 707(b), if the debtor is a victim of a natural 
disaster.’’. 
SEC. 6. AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 11. 
(a) CONVERSION OF CASE.—Section 1112(b) of title 
11, United States Code is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B)(i) by inserting ‘‘, in-
cluding a natural disaster’’ before the semicolon, and 
(2) in paragraph (3) by inserting ‘‘(including a 
natural disaster)’’ after ‘‘circumstances’’. 
(b) WHO MAY FILE A PLAN.—Section 1121(e)(3) of 
title 11, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ after 
‘‘(A)’’, 
(2) in subparagraph (C) by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’, 
(3) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and 
(C) as clauses (ii) and (iii), respectively, and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) the debtor is unable to meet the 
deadline because of a natural disaster.’’. 
(c) EXTENSION OF TIME FOR SMALL BUSINESSES.— 
Chapter 11 of title 11, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the table of sections by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘1117. Extension of time for small businesses.’’, and