11 U.S.C. § 1109 (BANKRUPTCY)
§ 1109. Right to be heard
(a) The Securities and Exchange Commission may raise and may appear and be heard on any issue in a case under this chapter, but the Securities and Exchange Commission may not appeal from any judgment, order, or decree entered in the case.
(b) A party in interest, including the debtor, the trustee, a creditors’ committee, an equity security holders’ committee, a creditor, an equity security holder, or any indenture trustee, may raise and may appear and be heard on any issue in a case under this chapter.
(Pub. L. 95–598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2629; Pub. L. 119–27, § 11(f), July 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 458.)
heading: Amendment of Section
text: Pub. L. 119–27, §§ 11(f), 20, July 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 458, 466, provided that, effective on the earlier of the date that is 18 months after July 18, 2025, or the date that is 120 days after the date on which the primary Federal payment stablecoin regulators issue any final regulations implementing Pub. L. 119–27, this section is amended by adding at the end the following:
(c) The Comptroller of the Currency or State payment stablecoin regulator (as defined in section 2 of the GENIUS Act) shall raise, and shall appear and be heard on, any issue, including the protection of customers, in a case under this chapter in which the debtor is a permitted payment stablecoin issuer.
See 2025 Amendment note below.
heading: Historical and Revision Notes
heading: legislative statements
text: Section 1109 of the House amendment represents a compromise between comparable provisions in the House bill and Senate amendment. As previously discussed the section gives the Securities and Exchange Commission the right to appear and be heard and to raise any issue in a case under chapter 11; however, the Securities and Exchange Commission is not a party in interest and the Commission may not appeal from any judgment, order, or decree entered in the case. Under section 1109(b) a party in interest, including the debtor, the trustee, creditors committee, equity securities holders committee, a creditor, an equity security holder, or an indentured trustee, may raise and may appear and be heard on any issue in a case under chapter 11. Section 1109(c) of the Senate amendment has been moved to subchapter IV pertaining to Railroad Reorganizations.
heading: senate report no. 95–989
text: Subsection (a) provides, in unqualified terms, that any creditor, equity security holder, or an indenture trustee shall have the right to be heard as a party in interest under this chapter in person, by an attorney, or by a committee. It is derived from section 206 of chapter X ([former] 11 U.S.C. 606).
Subsection (b) provides that the Securities and Exchange Commission may appear by filing an appearance in a case of a public company and may appear in other cases if authorized or requested by the court. As a party in interest in either case, the Commission may raise and be heard on any issue. The Commission may not appeal from a judgment, order, or decree in a case, but may participate in any appeal by any other party in interest. This is the present law under section 208 of chapter X ([former] 11 U.S.C. 608).
heading: house report no. 95–595
text: Section 1109 authorizes the Securities and Exchange Commission and any indenture trustee to intervene in the case at any time on any issue. They may raise an issue or may appear and be heard on an issue that is raised by someone else. The section, following current law, denies the right of appeal to the Securities and Exchange Commission. It does not, however, prevent the Commission from joining or participating in an appeal taken by a true party in interest. The Commission is merely prevented from initiating the appeal in any capacity.
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: Amendments
text: 2025—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–27 added subsec. (c).
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 2025 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 119–27 effective on the earlier of the date that is 18 months after July 18, 2025, or the date that is 120 days after the date on which the primary Federal payment stablecoin regulators issue any final regulations implementing Pub. L. 119–27, see section 20 of Pub. L. 119–27, set out as an Effective Date note under section 5901 of Title 12, Banks and Banking.