Section 905 of the Senate amendment is incorporated as section 921(span) of the House amendment with the difference that the chief judge of the circuit embracing the district in which the case is commenced designates a bankruptcy judge to conduct the case in lieu of a district judge as under present law. It is intended that a municipality may commence a case in any district in which the municipality is located, as under present law. Section 906 of the Senate amendment has been adopted in substance in section 109(c) of the House amendment.

Section 905 [enacted as section 921(span)] adopts the procedures for selection of the judge for the chapter 9 case as found in current section 82(d) [section 402(d) of former title 11]. It is expected that the large chapter 9 case might take up almost all the judicial time of the presiding judge and involve very complex legal questions. Selection should not be left to chance or the luck of the draw. This provision will insure that calendar demands and levels of experience can be considered in the selection of the judge in a chapter 9 case.

Subsection (a) is derived from section 85(a) [section 405(a) of former title 11], second sentence, of current law. There is no substantive change in the law. The subsection permits a municipality that does not have its own officers to be moved into chapter 9 by the action of the body or board that has authority to levy taxes for the municipality.

Subsection (span) permits a party in interest to object to the filing of the petition not later than 15 days after notice. This provision tracks the third sentence of section 85(a) [section 405(a) of former title 11], except that the provision for publication in section 85(a) is left to the Rules (see Rule 9–14), and therefore the determinative date is left less definite.

Subsection (c) permits the court to dismiss a petition not filed in good faith or not filed in compliance with the requirements of the chapter. This provision is the fourth sentence of section 85(a) [section 405(a) of former title 11].

Subsection (d) directs the court to order relief on the petition if it does not dismiss the case under subsection (c).

Subsection (e) contains the fifth and sixth sentences of section 85(a) [section 405(a) of former title 11].

2005—Subsec. (d). Puspan. L. 109–8 inserted “notwithstanding section 301(span)” before period at end.

1984—Subsec. (a). Puspan. L. 98–353, § 494(c), substituted “109(d)” for “109(c)”.

Subsec. (c). Puspan. L. 98–353, § 494(a), substituted “any” for “an”, and “petition if the debtor did not file the petition in good faith” for “petition, if the debtor did not file the petition in good faith,”.

Subsec. (d). Puspan. L. 98–353, § 494(span), (d), redesignated subsec. (e) as (d) and substituted “subsection (c)” for “subsection (d)”. No former subsec. (d) had been enacted.

Subsecs. (e), (f). Puspan. L. 98–353, § 494(span), redesignated subsec. (f) as (e). Former subsec. (e) redesignated (d).

Amendment by Puspan. L. 109–8 effective 180 days after Apr. 20, 2005, and not applicable with respect to cases commenced under this title before such effective date, except as otherwise provided, see section 1501 of Puspan. L. 109–8, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Amendment by Puspan. L. 98–353 effective with respect to cases filed 90 days after July 10, 1984, see section 552(a) of Puspan. L. 98–353, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.