Title 28Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73

§157 Procedures

Title 28 › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION OF COURTS › Chapter CHAPTER 6— - BANKRUPTCY JUDGES › § 157

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

District courts can send any bankruptcy case or any related bankruptcy matter to the district’s bankruptcy judges to handle. Bankruptcy judges can hear and decide those cases and many types of core bankruptcy matters and can sign orders and judgments, but their decisions can be reviewed under section 158. Core matters cover things like running the bankruptcy estate, allowing or estimating claims, plan confirmations, credit and turnover orders, avoiding preference or fraudulent transfers, motions about the automatic stay, disputes over discharge or liens, sales or use of estate property, and recognition of foreign bankruptcy cases. The judge decides whether a matter is “core,” either on their own or if a party asks, and cannot call something non-core just because state law might affect the result. Certain non-core claim-estimation matters are not subject to mandatory abstention under section 1334(c)(2). Personal injury and wrongful death claims must be tried in the district court where the bankruptcy is filed or where the claim arose, as the district court decides. A bankruptcy judge may also hear related but non-core matters and must send proposed findings to the district court, which issues the final order after reviewing any timely objections. With everyone’s consent, the district court can let a bankruptcy judge enter final orders in related matters. The district court can withdraw any referred case for good cause, and must withdraw a matter if it requires deciding bankruptcy law plus other federal laws about organizations or interstate commerce. A bankruptcy judge may hold a jury trial only if the district court specially gives that power and all parties agree.

Full Legal Text

Title 28, §157

Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Each district court may provide that any or all cases under title 11 and any or all proceedings arising under title 11 or arising in or related to a case under title 11 shall be referred to the bankruptcy judges for the district.
(b)(1)Bankruptcy judges may hear and determine all cases under title 11 and all core proceedings arising under title 11, or arising in a case under title 11, referred under subsection (a) of this section, and may enter appropriate orders and judgments, subject to review under section 158 of this title.
(2)Core proceedings include, but are not limited to—
(A)matters concerning the administration of the estate;
(B)allowance or disallowance of claims against the estate or exemptions from property of the estate, and estimation of claims or interests for the purposes of confirming a plan under chapter 11, 12, or 13 of title 11 but not the liquidation or estimation of contingent or unliquidated personal injury tort or wrongful death claims against the estate for purposes of distribution in a case under title 11;
(C)counterclaims by the estate against persons filing claims against the estate;
(D)orders in respect to obtaining credit;
(E)orders to turn over property of the estate;
(F)proceedings to determine, avoid, or recover preferences;
(G)motions to terminate, annul, or modify the automatic stay;
(H)proceedings to determine, avoid, or recover fraudulent conveyances;
(I)determinations as to the dischargeability of particular debts;
(J)objections to discharges;
(K)determinations of the validity, extent, or priority of liens;
(L)confirmations of plans;
(M)orders approving the use or lease of property, including the use of cash collateral;
(N)orders approving the sale of property other than property resulting from claims brought by the estate against persons who have not filed claims against the estate;
(O)other proceedings affecting the liquidation of the assets of the estate or the adjustment of the debtor-creditor or the equity security holder relationship, except personal injury tort or wrongful death claims; and
(P)recognition of foreign proceedings and other matters under chapter 15 of title 11.
(3)The bankruptcy judge shall determine, on the judge’s own motion or on timely motion of a party, whether a proceeding is a core proceeding under this subsection or is a proceeding that is otherwise related to a case under title 11. A determination that a proceeding is not a core proceeding shall not be made solely on the basis that its resolution may be affected by State law.
(4)Non-core proceedings under section 157(b)(2)(B) of title 28, United States Code, shall not be subject to the mandatory abstention provisions of section 1334(c)(2).
(5)The district court shall order that personal injury tort and wrongful death claims shall be tried in the district court in which the bankruptcy case is pending, or in the district court in the district in which the claim arose, as determined by the district court in which the bankruptcy case is pending.
(c)(1)A bankruptcy judge may hear a proceeding that is not a core proceeding but that is otherwise related to a case under title 11. In such proceeding, the bankruptcy judge shall submit proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law to the district court, and any final order or judgment shall be entered by the district judge after considering the bankruptcy judge’s proposed findings and conclusions and after reviewing de novo those matters to which any party has timely and specifically objected.
(2)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection, the district court, with the consent of all the parties to the proceeding, may refer a proceeding related to a case under title 11 to a bankruptcy judge to hear and determine and to enter appropriate orders and judgments, subject to review under section 158 of this title.
(d)The district court may withdraw, in whole or in part, any case or proceeding referred under this section, on its own motion or on timely motion of any party, for cause shown. The district court shall, on timely motion of a party, so withdraw a proceeding if the court determines that resolution of the proceeding requires consideration of both title 11 and other laws of the United States regulating organizations or activities affecting interstate commerce.
(e)If the right to a jury trial applies in a proceeding that may be heard under this section by a bankruptcy judge, the bankruptcy judge may conduct the jury trial if specially designated to exercise such jurisdiction by the district court and with the express consent of all the parties.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2005—Subsec. (b)(2)(P). Pub. L. 109–8 added subpar. (P). 1994—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–394 added subsec. (e). 1986—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 99–554, in subpar. (B) substituted “interests” for “interest” and inserted reference to chapter 12, and in subpar. (G) inserted a comma after “annul”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2005 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 109–8 effective 180 days after Apr. 20, 2005, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under Title 11, Bankruptcy, before such

Effective Date

, except as otherwise provided, see section 1501 of Pub. L. 109–8, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 11.

Effective Date

of 1994 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 103–394 effective Oct. 22, 1994, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under Title 11, Bankruptcy, before Oct. 22, 1994, see section 702 of Pub. L. 103–394, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 11.

Effective Date

of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–554 effective 30 days after Oct. 27, 1986, see section 302(a) of Pub. L. 99–554, set out as a note under section 581 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

28 U.S.C. § 157

Title 28Judiciary and Judicial Procedure

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73