PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 22, 2016
Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2016
This bill amends federal bankruptcy law to allow a medically distressed debtor to exempt, from the property of the estate in bankruptcy, up to $250,000 of the debtor's aggregate interest in: (1) specified real or personal property that the debtor or debtor's dependent uses as a residence, (2) a cooperative that owns such property, or (3) a burial plot for the debtor or debtor's dependent.
With respect to a medically distressed debtor, the bill waives certain administrative and procedural requirements.
In addition, the bill allows a medically distressed debtor to discharge in bankruptcy debts for certain educational loans.
A debtor who seeks relief as a medically distressed debtor must attest in writing, under penalty of perjury, that the debtor's medical expenses are genuine and were not specifically incurred to bring the debtor within the meaning of "medically distressed debtor."
People & committees
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] · D–RI
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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