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s 524 Effect of Discharge
(a) A discharge in a case under this title--
(1) voids any judgment at any time obtained, to the extent that
such judgment is a determination of the personal liability of the
debtor with respect to any debt discharged under section 727, 944,
1141, 1228, or 1328 of this title, whether or not discharge of such
debt is waived;
(2) operates as an injunction against the commencement or
continuation of an action, the employment of process, or an act, to
collect, recover or offset any such debt as a personal liability of
the debtor, whether or not discharge of such debt is waived; and
(3) operates as an injunction against the commencement or
continuation of an action, the employment of process, or an act, to
collect or recover from, or offset against, property of the debtor
of the kind specified in section 541(a)(2) of this title that is
acquired after the commencement of the case, on account of any
allowable community claim, except a community claim that is
excepted from discharge under section 523, 1128(a)(1), or
1328(c)(1) of this title, or that would be so excepted, determined
in accordance with the provisions of sections 523(c) and 523(d) of
this title, in a case concerning the debtor's spouse commenced on
the date of the filing of the petition in the case concerning the
debtor, whether or not discharge of the debt based on such
community claim is waived.
(b) Subsection (a)(3) of this section does not apply if--
(1)(A) the debtor's spouse is a debtor in a case under this
title, or a bankrupt or a debtor in a case under the Bankruptcy
Act, commenced within six years of the date of the filing of the
petition in the case concerning the debtor; and
(B) the court does not grant the debtor's spouse a discharge in
such case concerning the debtor's spouse; or
(2)(A) the court would not grant the debtor's spouse a discharge
in a case under chapter 7 of this title concerning such spouse
commenced on the date of the filing of the petition in the case
concerning the debtor; and
(B) a determination that the court would not so grant such
discharge is made by the bankruptcy court within the time and in
the manner provided for a determination under section 727 of this
title of whether a debtor is granted a discharge.
(c) An agreement between a holder of a claim and the debtor, the
consideration for which, in whole or in part, is based on a debt
that is dischargeable in a case under this title is enforceable
only to any extent enforceable under applicable nonbankruptcy law,
whether or not discharge of such debt is waived, only if--
(1) such agreement was made before the granting of the discharge
under section 727, 1141, 1228, or 1328 of this title;
(2) such agreement contains a clear and conspicuous statement
which advises the debtor that the agreement may be rescinded at any
time prior to discharge or within sixty days after such agreement
is filed with the court, whichever occurs later, by giving notice
of rescission to the holder of such claim;
(3) such agreement has been filed with the court and, if
applicable, accompanied by a declaration or an affidavit of the
attorney that represented the debtor during the course of
negotiating an agreement under this subsection, which states that
such agreement--
(4) the debtor has not rescinded such agreement at any time
prior to discharge or within sixty days after such agreement is
filed with the court, whichever occurs later, by giving notice of
recission to the holder of such claim;
(5) the provisions of subsection (d) of this section have been
complied with; and
(6)
(d) In a case concerning an individual, when the court has
determined whether to grant or not to grant a discharge under
section 727, 1141, 1128, or 1328 of this title, the court may hold
a hearing at which the debtor shall appear in person. At any such
hearing, the court shall inform the debtor that a discharge has
been granted or the reason why a discharge has not been granted.
If a discharge has been granted and if the debtor desires to make
an agreement of the kind specified in subsection (c) of this
section, then the court shall hold a hearing at which the debtor
shall appear in person and at such hearing the court shall--
(1) inform the debtor--
(2) determine whether the agreement that the debtor desires to
make complies with the requirements of subsection (c)(6) of this
section, if the consideration for such agreement is based in whole
or in part on a consumer debt that is not secured by real property
of the debtor.
(e) Except as provided in subsection (a)(3) of this section,
discharge of a debt of the debtor does not affect the liability of
any other entity on, or the property of any other entity for, such
debt.
(f) Nothing contained in subsection (c) or (d) of this section
prevents a debtor from voluntarily repaying any debt.
(Pub.L. 95-598, Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2592.)
(As amended Pub.L. 98-353, Title III, ss 308, 455, July 10, 1984,
98 Stat. 354, 376; Pub.L. 99-554, Title II, ss 257(o), 282,
283(k), Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3115-3117.)