Effective December 1, 2013, Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 1007(b)(7) has been amended to permit an approved debtor education provider to notify the court directly that the debtor has completed a post-petition instructional course concerning personal financial management.*   This rule change pertains to debtor education certificates only, not to credit counseling certificates.

The Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Mexico will permit approved personal financial management course providers to file the Certificate of Debtor Education under Rule 1007(b)(7), electronically using the electronic financial management course certificate filing program (eFinCert) instead of requiring course providers to register as a limited filer in the court’s CM/ECF case management system.

Pursuant to Federal Rule of Bankruptcy Procedure 1007(c), the debtor must file a certification that he/she completed the personal financial management course within 60 days after the first date set for the meeting of creditors under § 341 of the Code in a chapter 7 case, and in a chapter 11 or 13 case no later than the date when the last payment was made by the debtor as required by the plan or the filing of a motion for discharge under § 1141(d)(5)(B) or § 1328(b) of the Code.  Failure by the provider to timely file the certificate in accordance with Fed. R. Bankr. P. 1007(c), may result in the debtor’s case being closed without a discharge.  See Fed. R. Bankr. P. 4004(c)(1)(H).

Use of this electronic filing program (eFinCert) constitutes certification that the filer is a U.S. Trustee-approved provider of a personal financial management instructional course.

File Personal Financial Management Course Certificate (eFinCert)

Penalty for filing fraudulent certification:  Fine of up to $500,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.  18 U.S.C. $$ 152 and 3571.