Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73
§151 Designation of bankruptcy courts
Title 28 › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › Chapter CHAPTER 6— - BANKRUPTCY JUDGES › § 151
Summary
Active bankruptcy judges in each judicial district make up that district's bankruptcy court. As officers of the district court, they can use bankruptcy-law powers to decide cases alone and hold regular or special sessions unless a law or district rule says otherwise.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §151
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
In each judicial district, the bankruptcy judges in regular active service shall constitute a unit of the district court to be known as the bankruptcy court for that district. Each bankruptcy judge, as a judicial officer of the district court, may exercise the authority conferred under this chapter with respect to any action, suit, or proceeding and may preside alone and hold a regular or special session of the court, except as otherwise provided by law or by rule or order of the district court.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 98–353, title I, § 122, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 346, provided that: “(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, this title and the
Amendments
made by this title [enacting this chapter and sections 1408 to 1412 and 1452 of this title, amending section 372, 634, 957, 1334, 1360, and 1930 of this title, section 8331, 8334, 8336, 8339, 8341, and 8344 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and section 105 of Title 11, Bankruptcy, enacting provisions set out as notes preceding section 151 of this title and under sections 151 to 153, 634, and 1334 of this title and section 8331 of Title 5, amending provisions set out as notes preceding section 151 and 1471 of this title and section 101 of Title 11, and repealing provisions set out as notes preceding section 151 and 1471 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [
July 10, 1984]. “(b) section 1334(c)(2) of title 28, United States Code, and section 1411(a) of title 28, United States Code, as added by this Act, shall not apply with respect to cases under title 11 of the United States Code that are pending on the date of enactment of this Act [
July 10, 1984], or to proceedings arising in or related to such cases. “(c) section 108(b) [enacting provisions set out as a note under section 634 of this title], 113 [amending provisions set out as a note preceding section 101 of Title 11, Bankruptcy], and 121(e) [enacting provisions set out as a note preceding section 151 of this title] shall take effect on
June 27, 1984.”
Short Title
of 1984 Amendment Pub. L. 98–353, § 1, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 333, provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter and sections 1408 to 1412 and 1452 of this title and sections 557 to 559 and 1113 of Title 11, Bankruptcy, amending section 44, 98, 131, 133, 371, 372, 634, 957, 1334, 1360, and 1930 of this title, section 8331, 8334, 8336, 8339, 8341, 8344, 8701, 8706, 8714a, and 8714b of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, and sections 101 to 103, 105, 108, 109, 303, 321, 322, 326 to 330, 342, 343, 345, 346, 349, 350, 361 to 363, 365, 366, 501 to 503, 505 to 507, 509, 510, 521 to 525, 541 to 550, 552 to 555, 702 to 704, 707, 723 to 728, 741, 745, 752, 761, 763 to 766, 901 to 903, 921, 922, 927, 943, 945, 1102, 1103, 1105 to 1108, 1112, 1121, 1123 to 1127, 1129, 1141, 1142, 1144 to 1146, 1166, 1168 to 1171, 1173, 1301, 1302, 1304, 1307, 1322, 1324 to 1326, 1328, 1329, 15103, and 151302 of Title 11, enacting provisions set out as notes preceding section 151 of this title and under section 44, 133, 151 to 153, 371, 634, 1334, and 2075 of this title, section 8331 and 8706 of Title 5, and preceding section 101 of Title 11 and under section 101, 365, and 1113 of Title 11, amending provisions set out as notes preceding section 151, 581, and 1471 of this title and section 101 of Title 11, repealing provisions set out as notes preceding section 151 and 1471 of this title, amending Rules 2002 and 3001 of the Bankruptcy Rules, set out in the Appendix to this title, and amending Official Bankruptcy Form No. 1] may be cited as the ‘Bankruptcy
Amendments
and Federal Judgeship Act of 1984’.” Separability Pub. L. 98–353, title I, § 119, July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 344, provided that: “If any provision of this Act [see
Short Title
of 1984 Amendment note above] or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this Act, or the application of that provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, is not affected thereby.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 151
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73