Department of Justice February 1, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice of proposed rulemaking (``rule'') sets forth proposed procedures and criteria United States Trustees shall use when determining whether applicants seeking to become and remain approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agencies satisfy all prerequisites of the United States Code, as implemented under this rule. Under current law every individual debtor shall have received adequate counseling from an approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency within 180 days before the date of filing for bankruptcy relief. The current law enumerates mandatory prerequisites and minimum standards applicants seeking to become approved nonprofit budget and credit counseling agencies must meet. Under this rule, United States Trustees will approve applicants for inclusion on publicly available agency lists in one or more federal judicial districts, if an applicant establishes it meets all the requirements of the United States Code, as implemented under this rule. After obtaining such an approval, a nonprofit budget and credit counseling agency shall be authorized to provide credit counseling in a federal judicial district during the time the agency remains approved.