Title 48Territories and Insular PossessionsRelease 119-73not60

§2166 Jurisdiction

Title 48 › Chapter 20— PUERTO RICO OVERSIGHT, MANAGEMENT, AND ECONOMIC STABILITY › Subchapter III— ADJUSTMENTS OF DEBTS › § 2166

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

District courts must hear bankruptcy cases. They are the first and usually the only courts with authority over those cases. For civil matters that come up because of a bankruptcy case, district courts also have first authority, but other courts may sometimes hear those matters too. The district court where the bankruptcy case starts has exclusive control of all the debtor’s property that existed when the case began. While a case is pending, that court has personal authority over any person or business involved. A party can move most civil claims to the district court handling the bankruptcy, except claims in the U.S. Tax Court and government cases that enforce police or regulatory powers. The district court can send a removed claim back on fairness grounds, and that decision generally cannot be appealed. Any civil matter that arises under or is related to the bankruptcy must be sent to the district court where the bankruptcy case is pending. Appeals follow normal rules and go to the court of appeals for the circuit where the bankruptcy case is located. The district court may allow early (interlocutory) appeals if it finds special reasons and the appeals court agrees; requests for that certification must be made within 60 days of the order. The court clerk must reassign staff as needed to manage the case.

Full Legal Text

Title 48, §2166

Territories and Insular Possessions — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The district courts shall have—
(1)except as provided in paragraph (2), original and exclusive jurisdiction of all cases under this subchapter; and
(2)except as provided in subsection (b), and notwithstanding any Act of Congress that confers exclusive jurisdiction on a court or courts other than the district courts, original but not exclusive jurisdiction of all civil proceedings arising under this subchapter, or arising in or related to cases under this subchapter.
(b)The district court in which a case under this subchapter is commenced or is pending shall have exclusive jurisdiction of all property, wherever located, of the debtor as of the commencement of the case.
(c)The district court in which a case under this subchapter is pending shall have personal jurisdiction over any person or entity.
(d)(1)A party may remove any claim or cause of action in a civil action, other than a proceeding before the United States Tax Court or a civil action by a governmental unit to enforce the police or regulatory power of the governmental unit, to the district court for the district in which the civil action is pending, if the district court has jurisdiction of the claim or cause of action under this section.
(2)The district court to which the claim or cause of action is removed under paragraph (1) may remand the claim or cause of action on any equitable ground. An order entered under this subsection remanding a claim or cause of action, or a decision not to remand, is not reviewable by appeal or otherwise by the court of appeals under section 158(d), 1291 or 1292 of title 28 or by the Supreme Court of the United States under section 1254 of title 28.
(3)A district court shall transfer any civil proceeding arising under this subchapter, or arising in or related to a case under this subchapter, to the district court in which the case under this subchapter is pending.
(e)(1)An appeal shall be taken in the same manner as appeals in civil proceedings generally are taken to the courts of appeals from the district court.
(2)The court of appeals for the circuit in which a case under this subchapter has venue pursuant to section 2167 of this title shall have jurisdiction of appeals from all final decisions, judgments, orders and decrees entered under this subchapter by the district court.
(3)The court of appeals for the circuit in which a case under this subchapter has venue pursuant to section 2167 of this title shall have jurisdiction to hear appeals of interlocutory orders or decrees if—
(A)the district court on its own motion or on the request of a party to the order or decree certifies that—
(i)the order or decree involves a question of law as to which there is no controlling decision of the court of appeals for the circuit or of the Supreme Court of the United States, or involves a matter of public importance;
(ii)the order or decree involves a question of law requiring the resolution of conflicting decisions; or
(iii)an immediate appeal from the order or decree may materially advance the progress of the case or proceeding in which the appeal is taken; and
(B)the court of appeals authorizes the direct appeal of the order or decree.
(4)If the district court on its own motion or on the request of a party determines that a circumstance specified in clauses (i), (ii), or (iii) of paragraph (3)(A) exists, then the district court shall make the certification described in paragraph (3).
(5)The parties may supplement the certification with a short statement of the basis for the certification issued by the district court under paragraph (3)(A).
(6)Except as provided in section 2164(d) of this title, an appeal of an interlocutory order or decree does not stay any proceeding of the district court from which the appeal is taken unless the district court, or the court of appeals in which the appeal is pending, issues a stay of such proceedings pending the appeal.
(7)Any request for a certification in respect to an interlocutory appeal of an order or decree shall be made not later than 60 days after the entry of the order or decree.
(f)Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the clerk of the court in which a case is pending shall reallocate as many staff and assistants as the clerk deems necessary to ensure that the court has adequate resources to provide for proper case management.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

48 U.S.C. § 2166

Title 48Territories and Insular Possessions

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60