Consumer Protection and Corporate Accountability in Bankruptcy Act of 2026
This bill strengthens consumer protections and corporate accountability by tightening rules for Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases, particularly those involving large corporate restructurings. It allows courts to dismiss bankruptcy filings more quickly if they are filed in bad faith or to gain a tactical advantage, while also limiting the automatic stay that usually pauses legal actions against non-debtor entities like parent companies or insurers. Specifically, the law removes the automatic stay for certain claims related to mass torts or environmental issues if the debtor underwent a major corporate restructuring in the four years before filing. These changes aim to prevent companies from using bankruptcy to shield themselves from liability to hundreds of individuals while still allowing legitimate reorganization efforts to proceed.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Apr 20, 2026
Last action Apr 20, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Apr 20, 2026
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
upper
Apr 20, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Sheldon Whitehouse
DDemocratic
Co
Josh Hawley
RRepublican
Co
Richard J. Durbin
DDemocratic
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