; nor and all that follows through appeal . (c) Direct immediate appeal to court of appeals Section 158(d) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: (3) The appropriate court of appeals shall have jurisdiction of an appeal of a determination made by a bankruptcy court under section 109(c) of title 11 that an entity is eligible to be a debtor under chapter 9 of title 11 and shall consider and determine such appeal on an expedited basis. Such appeal shall be a direct appeal to be reviewed and heard de novo on the merits. The doctrine of equitable mootness shall not apply to appeals under this paragraph. . 3. Protecting Employees and Retirees Section 943 of title 11, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (6) by striking and at the end, (B) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8), and (C) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following: (7) in a case in which the plan modifies a collective bargaining agreement, or modifies a retiree benefit, including an accrued pension, retiree health, or other retirement benefit otherwise protected by State or municipal law, or a retiree benefit as defined in section 1114(a), in any manner otherwise prohibited by nonbankruptcy law, the authorized representative of the employees covered by such agreement, or the authorized representative of individuals receiving the retiree benefits, as the case may be, agrees to the plan