# § 3057. Bankruptcy investigations
**(a)** Any judge, receiver, or trustee having reasonable grounds for believing that any violation under chapter 9 of this title or other laws of the United States relating to insolvent debtors, receiverships or reorganization plans has been committed, or that an investigation should be had in connection therewith, shall report to the appropriate United States attorney all the facts and circumstances of the case, the names of the witnesses and the offense or offenses believed to have been committed. Where one of such officers has made such report, the others need not do so.
**(b)** The United States attorney thereupon shall inquire into the facts and report thereon to the judge, and if it appears probable that any such offense has been committed, shall without delay, present the matter to the grand jury, unless upon inquiry and examination he decides that the ends of public justice do not require investigation or prosecution, in which case he shall report the facts to the Attorney General for his direction.
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**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 818; May 24, 1949, ch. 139, § 48, 63 Stat. 96; Pub. L. 95–598, title III, § 314(i), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2677.)
### Historical and Revision Notes
### 1948 Act
Based on section 52(e)(1), (2) of title 11, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Bankruptcy (, (2), as added by , , 666; , , 856).
Remaining provisions of , U.S.C., 1940 ed., Bankruptcy, constitute sections 151–154, and 3284 of this title.
The words “or laws relating to insolvent debtors, receiverships, or reorganization plans” were inserted to avoid reference to “Title 11”.
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
### 1949 Act
This section [section 48] clarifies the meaning of , U.S.C., by expressly limiting to laws “of the United States”, violations of laws which are to be reported to the United States attorney.
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
1978—Subsec. (a). , substituted “judge” for “referee” and “violation under chapter 9 of this title” for “violations of the bankruptcy laws”.
Subsec. (b). , substituted “judge” for “referee”.
1949—Subsec. (a). Act , substituted “or other laws of the United States” for “or laws”.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1978 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as an Effective Date note preceding , Bankruptcy.
### Savings Provision
Amendment by not to affect the application of chapter 9 (§ 151 et seq.), chapter 96 (§ 1961 et seq.), or section 2516, 3057, or 3284 of this title to any act of any person (1) committed before , or (2) committed after , in connection with a case commenced before such date, see , set out as a note preceding , Bankruptcy.
## Executive Documents
### Transfer of Functions
Functions of all other officers of Department of Justice and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, with a few exceptions, transferred to Attorney General, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. , 15 F.R. 3173, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.