H.R. 2938House116th Congress (2019-2021)Enacted

HAVEN Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 5:42 AM UTC

The HAVEN Act changes how a debtor’s monthly income is calculated for bankruptcy purposes. It removes certain veterans’ benefits and other victim compensation from the income count, so those payments won’t affect a veteran’s ability to keep or discharge debt. The bill mainly helps veterans receiving Department of Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense benefits, as well as other victims of war crimes or terrorism, by treating those payments as non‑income.

Key Provisions

Amends the definition of “current monthly income” in the bankruptcy code to exclude benefits paid by the VA or DoD, including compensation, pension, pay, annuities, or allowances tied to disability, combat injury, or death of service members.
Specifically excludes Social Security benefits, payments to victims of war crimes, and payments to victims of international or domestic terrorism from income calculations.
Provides a narrow rule for retired pay under title 10, chapter 61, allowing only the portion that exceeds other entitled retired pay to be counted.
Adds a procedural clause directing that the bill’s budgetary impact be measured according to the standard PAYGO budgetary effects statement.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

19 earlier actions

Became Law Latest Action

Became Public Law No: 116-52.

August 23, 2019

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 23, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H4124)

May 23, 2019

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

May 23, 2019

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law.

Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee

June 28, 2019

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Judiciary Committee

July 11, 2019

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.

Judiciary Committee

July 11, 2019

HouseCommittee

Reported by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 116-169.

Judiciary Committee

July 23, 2019

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 129.

July 23, 2019

HouseFloor

Mr. Cicilline moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

July 23, 2019 • 6:14 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7215-7216)

July 23, 2019 • 6:15 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2938.

July 23, 2019 • 6:15 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H7215-7216)

July 23, 2019 • 6:20 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H7215-7216)

July 23, 2019 • 6:20 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

July 23, 2019 • 6:20 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate, read twice.

July 24, 2019

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S5321)

August 1, 2019

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

August 1, 2019

President

Presented to President.

August 13, 2019

Became Law

Signed by President.

August 23, 2019

Became Law

Became Public Law No: 116-52.

August 23, 2019

Bill Text

6 versions available

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Enrolled BillPublication date not provided

One Hundred Sixteenth Congress of the United States of America

At the First Session

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, the third day of January, two thousand and nineteen

H. R. 2938

AN ACT

To exempt from the calculation of monthly income certain benefits paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act of 2019 or the HAVEN Act.

Definition of current monthly income

Section 101(10A) of title 11, United States Code, is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:

(B)

(i)

includes any amount paid by any entity other than the debtor (or in a joint case the debtor and the debtor's spouse), on a regular basis for the household expenses of the debtor or the debtor's dependents (and in a joint case the debtor's spouse if not otherwise a dependent); and

(ii)

excludes—

(I)

benefits received under the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.);

(II)

payments to victims of war crimes or crimes against humanity on account of their status as victims of such crimes;

(III)

payments to victims of international terrorism or domestic terrorism, as those terms are defined in section 2331 of title 18, on account of their status as victims of such terrorism; and

(IV)

any monthly compensation, pension, pay, annuity, or allowance paid under title 10, 37, or 38 in connection with a disability, combat-related injury or disability, or death of a member of the uniformed services, except that any retired pay excluded under this subclause shall include retired pay paid under chapter 61 of title 10 only to the extent that such retired pay exceeds the amount of retired pay to which the debtor would otherwise be entitled if retired under any provision of title 10 other than chapter 61 of that title.

Determination of Budgetary Effects

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.