119th Congress · introduced in the Senate · Apr 9, 2025
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Apr 9, 2025): Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S2523-2527)
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in Senate (Apr 9, 2025)
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025
This bill establishes limits on executive compensation and provides protections for employee wages and benefits if an employer files for Chapter 11 (reorganization) bankruptcy.
First, the bill increases the limit on claims for wages, salaries, other employee benefits, and commissions from $10,000 to $20,000 and eliminates the requirement that such claims must have been earned within 180 days before the filing of the bankruptcy petition.
The bill grants certain claims higher priority in the bankruptcy process, including specific types of severance pay; contributions to an employee benefit plan; back pay, civil penalties, or damages arising from certain labor law violations; and certain pension plan withdrawal liabilities.
The bill also limits executive compensation under a reorganization plan. For example, insiders (parties with close relationships to the debtor), senior executives, and others as specified by the bill may only receive payments or other distributions that are generally applicable to all full-time employees, subject to certain limits. The bill further restricts the compensation of any insider who continues to be employed by the debtor.
A reorganization plan may only be approved if it provides for the recovery of claims relating to retiree benefits or for other financial returns paid under the plan.
The bill also provides protections for collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) during bankruptcy proceedings. If a proceeding resulting from a CBA was or could have been commenced before the bankruptcy, the bankruptcy does not act as a stay in such a proceeding.
Show less of the summaryIncludes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S2523-2527)
Introduced in Senate
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 24, 2026.
7 citations.
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION · lobbying firm or registrant: AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 20, 2026 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$200,000
Spent on own lobbying
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act (S.1381); Air Carrier Bankruptcies;
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION · lobbying firm or registrant: AIR LINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$266,000
Spent on own lobbying
Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act (S.1381); Air Carrier Bankruptcies;
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS · lobbying firm or registrant: ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 17, 2026 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$85,000
Spent on own lobbying
1. S. 1381, Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025, entire bill
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS · lobbying firm or registrant: ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 18, 2026 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$95,000
Spent on own lobbying
1. S. 1381, Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025, entire bill
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS · lobbying firm or registrant: ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
2025 Q4 report (Oct 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025) · posted Jan 8, 2026 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$90,000
Spent on own lobbying
1. S. 1381, Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025, entire bill
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS · lobbying firm or registrant: ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
2025 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2025) · posted Oct 16, 2025 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$80,000
Spent on own lobbying
1. S. 1381, Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025, entire bill
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS · lobbying firm or registrant: ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS
2025 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2025 – Jun 30, 2025) · posted Jul 16, 2025 · issue area: Bankruptcy
$80,000
Spent on own lobbying
1. S. 1381, Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act of 2025, entire bill
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing