Priority for severance pay and contributions to employee benefit plans

Section 503(b) of title 11, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (8)(B), by striking and at the end; (2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period and inserting a semicolon; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (10) severance pay owed to employees of the debtor (other than to an insider of the debtor, a senior executive officer of the debtor, the 20 highest compensated employees of the debtor who are not insiders or senior executive officers, any department or division manager of the debtor, or any consultant providing services to the debtor), under a plan, program, or policy generally applicable to employees of the debtor (but not under an individual contract of employment), or owed pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement, for layoff or termination on or after the date of the filing of the petition, which pay shall be deemed earned in full upon such layoff or termination of employment; and (11) any contribution to an employee benefit plan that is due on or after the date of the filing of the petition..