The section of the opinion regarding the constitutionality of the gag rule (after an analysis that determined that the rule did by its terms apply to the attorneys bringing the suit) stated (at Slip Op. 10-13):
B. Constitutionality of § 526(a)(4)
Having concluded that attorneys providing bankruptcy assistance to assisted persons are debt relief agencies under the Code, we now must determine whether the challenged provisions placing restrictions and requirements on debt relief agencies are unconstitutionally overbroad as applied to these types of attorneys.7 One of the sections challenged by the plaintiffs in this case is § 526(a)(4), which states:
(a) A debt relief agency shall not–
. . .
(4) advise an assisted person or prospective assisted person to
incur more debt in contemplation of such person filing a case
under this title or to pay an attorney or bankruptcy petition
preparer fee or charge for services performed as part of preparing
for or representing a debtor in a case under this title.
11 U.S.C. § 526(a)(4).
Plaintiffs assert that the prohibition against advising an assisted person or prospective assisted person to incur more debt in contemplation of bankruptcy violates the First Amendment. The parties disagree as to the level of scrutiny we apply to the constitutional analysis of this limitation on speech. Plaintiffs claim that we should review the constitutionality of § 526(a)(4) under the strict scrutiny standard as the restriction on attorney advice is content-based. See Turner Broad. Sys., Inc. v. FCC, 512 U.S. 622, 642 (1994) ("Our precedents thus apply the most exacting scrutiny to regulations that suppress, disadvantage, or impose differential burdens upon speech because of its content"). Under strict scrutiny review, the government has the burden to prove that the constraints on speech are supported by a compelling governmental interest and are narrowly tailored, such that the statutory effect does not prohibit any more speech than is necessary to serve the governmental interest. Republican Party of Minnesota v. White, 536 U.S. 765, 774–75 (2002).
In contrast, the government argues that § 526(a)(4)'s restrictions are a type of ethical regulation, invoking the more lenient standard outlined in Gentile v. State Bar of Nev., 501 U.S. 1030 (1991). Under the Gentile standard, we would balance the First Amendment rights of the attorneys against the government's legitimate interest in regulating the activity in question—the prohibition of advising assisted persons to incur more debt in contemplation of bankruptcy—and then determine whether the regulations impose "only narrow and necessary limitations on lawyers' speech." Id. at 1075.
According to the government, § 526(a)(4) should be interpreted as merely preventing an attorney from advising an assisted person (or prospective assisted person) to take on more debt in contemplation of bankruptcy when the incurrence of such debt is done with the intent to manipulate the bankruptcy system, engage in abusive conduct, or take unfair advantage of the bankruptcy discharge. However, the plain language of the statute does not permit this narrow interpretation. Rather, §526(a)(4) broadly prohibits a debt relief agency from advising an assisted person (or prospective assisted person) to incur any additional debt when the assisted person is contemplating bankruptcy. The statute's blanket prohibition applies even if the additional debt would not be discharged during the bankruptcy proceedings. 11 U.S.C. § 526(a)(4).
Thus, regardless of whether the government's interest in prohibiting the speech was legitimate (Gentile standard) or compelling (strict scrutiny standard), § 526(a)(4) is unconstitutionally overbroad as applied to attorneys falling within the definition of debt relief agencies because it is not narrowly tailored, nor narrowly and necessarily limited, to restrict only that speech that the government has an interest in restricting. Instead, § 526(a)(4) prohibits attorneys classified as debt relief agencies from advising any assisted person to incur any additional debt in contemplation of bankruptcy; this prohibition would include advice constituting prudent prebankruptcy planning that is not an attempt to circumvent, abuse, or undermine the bankruptcy laws. Section 526(a)(4), as written, prevents attorneys from fulfilling their duty to clients to give them appropriate and beneficial advice not otherwise prohibited by the Bankruptcy Code or other applicable law.8
There are certain situations where it would likely be in the assisted person's, and even the creditors', best interest for the assisted person to incur additional debt in contemplation of bankruptcy. However, under § 526(a)(4)'s plain language an attorney is prohibited from providing this beneficial advice—even if the advice could help the assisted person avoid filing for bankruptcy altogether. For instance, it may be in the assisted person's best interest to refinance a home mortgage in contemplation of bankruptcy to lower the mortgage payments. This could free up additional funds to pay off other debts and avoid the need for filing bankruptcy all together. Hersh, 347 B.R. at 24. Moreover, it may be in the client's best interest to incur additional debt to purchase a reliable automobile before filing for bankruptcy, so that the debtor will have dependable transportation to travel to and from work, which will likely be necessary to maintain the debtor's payments in bankruptcy. Id. Incurring these types of additional secured debt, which would often survive or could be reaffirmed by the debtor, may be in the debtor's best interest without harming the creditors.9
Factual scenarios other than these few hypothetical situations no doubt exist and may further illustrate why incurring additional debt in contemplation of bankruptcy may not be abusive or harmful to creditors. Nonetheless, § 526(a)(4), as written, does not allow attorneys falling within the definition of debt relief agencies to advise assisted persons (or prospective assisted persons)—i.e. clients (or prospective clients) meeting the definition of assisted person—to incur such debt. Thus, § 526(a)(4) is not narrowly tailored nor narrowly and necessarily limited to prevent only that speech which the government has an interest in restricting. Therefore, we hold that §526(a)(4) is substantially overbroad,10 and unconstitutional as applied to attorneys who provide bankruptcy assistance to assisted persons, as those terms are defined in the Code.
7 Even though a more narrowly drawn version of § 526(a)(4) would likely be valid as applied to the plaintiffs in this case, our analysis applies to all attorneys falling within the definition of debt relief agencies, not merely the plaintiff attorneys. See Members of City Council of City of Los Angeles v. Taxpayers for Vincent, 466 U.S. 789, 798–99 (1984) (explaining that the overbreadth doctrine allows a party to challenge a broadly written statute "even though a more narrowly drawn statute would be valid as applied to the party in the case," as "the statute's very existence may cause others not before the court to refrain from constitutionally protected speech or expression") (internal quotations and citation omitted).
8 Several bankruptcy courts are in agreement with our decision. See Zelotes, 363 B.R. at 667 ("Because § 526(a)(4) is not sufficiently 'narrowly tailored to achieve the desired objective,' it is unconstitutional as applied to bankruptcy attorneys."); Hersh, 347 B.R. at 25 (concluding that § 526(a)(4) is unconstitutional because: "(1) it prevents lawyers from advising clients to take lawful actions; and (2) it extends beyond abuse to prevent advice to take prudent actions," and therefore imposes "limitations on speech beyond what is 'narrow and necessary'"); Olsen, 350 B.R. at 916 ("[S]ection 526(a)(4) is overly restrictive in violation of the First Amendment" even if reviewed under Gentile standard).
9 See Erwin Chemerinsky, Constitutional Issues Posed in the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, 79 Am. Bankr. L.J. 571, 579 (Summer 2005).
"[Section 526(a)(4)'s] prohibition is particularly troubling when it might be completely legal and even desirable for the client to incur such debt. For example, there may be instances where it is advisable for a client to obtain a mortgage, to refinance an existing mortgage to obtain a lower interest rate, or to buy a new car on time. There would be no fraud in doing so if the client intended to pay such debt notwithstanding the filing of a contemplated bankruptcy case. For example, the client may intend to keep all payments fully current and to reaffirm such debt once the case is filed bankruptcy to lower the mortgage payments. This could free up additional funds to pay off other debts and avoid the need for filing bankruptcy all together. Hersh, 347 B.R. at 24. Moreover, it may be in the client's best interest to incur additional debt to purchase a reliable automobile before filing for bankruptcy, so that the debtor will have dependable transportation to travel to and from work, which will likely be necessary to maintain the debtor's payments in bankruptcy. Id. Incurring these types of additional secured debt, which would often survive or could be reaffirmed by the debtor, may be in the debtor's best interest without harming the creditors."
10 See Veneklase v. City of Fargo, 248 F.3d 738, 747 (8th Cir. 2001) ("For us to find a statute unconstitutionally overbroad, its 'overbreadth . . . must not only be real, but substantial as well, judged in relation to the statute's plainly legitimate sweep.'") (quoting Broadrick v. Oklahoma, 413 U.S. 601, 615 (1973)).
The unconstitutionality of this law was, of course, entirely predictable. For example, similar laws in the area of Medicaid counseling have similarly been invalidated. But, sloppy drafting in this area has resulted in expenditures of a major scholarly, practical, lobbying and litigation effort to have this relatively unimportant element of the bankruptcy reform law declared unconstitutional.
The 8th Circuit ruling was by a 2-1 margin, but even the dissent argued that the provision should have instead been interpreted to apply only when the advice given produces civil damages from a violation of the bankruptcy code, thus construing the law to have a meaning other than its plain language.
Perhaps the result was right in the end, but this kind of irresponsible legislation doesn't come cheap to the general public or the government officials who have to defend it.
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