Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/us/2013/title-11/chapter-1/section-106
Timestamp: 2019-12-08 14:23:38
Document Index: 282317681

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 106', '§ 101', '§113', '§2', '§ 106', '§106', '§113', '§2']

Waiver of sovereign immunity - 11 U.S.C. § 106 (2013) :: Title 11 - Bankruptcy :: 2013 US Code :: US Codes and Statutes :: US Law :: Justia
Justia US Law US Codes and Statutes US Code 2013 US Code Title 11 - Bankruptcy Chapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 101 - 112) Section 106 - Waiver of sovereign immunity
Section 106 - Waiver of sovereign immunity
Sec. 106 - Waiver of sovereign immunity
Source Credit Pub. L. 95-598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2555; Pub. L. 103-394, title I, §113, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4117; Pub. L. 111-327, §2(a)(4), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3557.
Statutes at Large References 92 Stat. 2555
Public Law References Public Law 95-598, Public Law 103-394, Public Law 111-327
Waiver of sovereign immunity - 11 U.S.C. § 106 (2013)
§106. Waiver of sovereign immunity
(Pub. L. 95–598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2555; Pub. L. 103–394, title I, §113, Oct. 22, 1994, 108 Stat. 4117; Pub. L. 111–327, §2(a)(4), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3557.)
Section 106(c) relating to sovereign immunity is new. The provision indicates that the use of the term "creditor," "entity," or "governmental unit" in title 11 applies to governmental units notwithstanding any assertion of sovereign immunity and that an order of the court binds governmental units. The provision is included to comply with the requirement in case law that an express waiver of sovereign immunity is required in order to be effective. Section 106(c) codifies In re Gwilliam, 519 F.2d 407 (9th Cir., 1975), and In re Dolard, 519 F.2d 282 (9th Cir., 1975), permitting the bankruptcy court to determine the amount and dischargeability of tax liabilities owing by the debtor or the estate prior to or during a bankruptcy case whether or not the governmental unit to which such taxes are owed files a proof of claim. Except as provided in sections 106(a) and (b), subsection (c) is not limited to those issues, but permits the bankruptcy court to bind governmental units on other matters as well. For example, section 106(c) permits a trustee or debtor in possession to assert avoiding powers under title 11 against a governmental unit; contrary language in the House report to H.R. 8200 is thereby overruled.
There is, however, a limited change from the result that would prevail in the absence of bankruptcy; the change is two-fold and is within Congress' power vis-a-vis both the Federal Government and the States. First, the filing of a proof of claim against the estate by a governmental unit is a waiver by that governmental unit of sovereign immunity with respect to compulsory counterclaims, as defined in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure [title 28, appendix], that is, counterclaims arising out of the same transaction or occurrence. The governmental unit cannot receive a distribution from the estate without subjecting itself to any liability it has to the estate within the confines of a compulsory counterclaim rule. Any other result would be one-sided. The counterclaim by the estate against the governmental unit is without limit.
Second, the estate may offset against the allowed claim of a governmental unit, up to the amount of the governmental unit's claim, any claim that the debtor, and thus the estate, has against the governmental unit, without regard to whether the estate's claim arose out of the same transaction or occurrence as the government's claim. Under this provision, the setoff permitted is only to the extent of the governmental unit's claim. No affirmative recovery is permitted. Subsection (a) governs affirmative recovery.
Though this subsection creates a partial waiver of immunity when the governmental unit files a proof of claim, it does not waive immunity if the debtor or trustee, and not the governmental unit, files proof of a governmental unit's claim under proposed 11 U.S.C. 501(c).
2010—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111–327 struck out "728," after "726,".
"(1) a provision of this title that contains 'creditor', 'entity', or 'governmental unit' applies to governmental units; and
Amendment by Pub. L. 103–394 effective Oct. 22, 1994, and applicable with respect to cases commenced under this title before, on, and after Oct. 22, 1994, see section 702(a), (b)(2)(B) of Pub. L. 103–394, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.