§ 87b. — Prohibited acts.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC87b]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 3--GRAIN STANDARDS
Sec. 87b. Prohibited acts
(a) No person shall--
(1) knowingly falsely make, issue, alter, forge, or counterfeit
any official certificate or other official form or official mark;
(2) knowingly utter, publish, or use as true any falsely made,
issued, altered, forged, or counterfeited official certificate or
other official form or official mark, or knowingly possess, without
promptly notifying the Secretary or the representative of the
Secretary, or fail to surrender to such a representative upon
demand, any falsely made, issued, altered, forged, or counterfeited
official certificate or other official form, or any device for
making any official mark or simulation thereof, or knowingly possess
any grain in a container bearing any falsely made, issued, altered,
forged, or counterfeited official mark without promptly giving such
notice;
(3) knowingly cause or attempt (whether successfully or not) to
cause the issuance of a false or incorrect official certificate or
other official form by any means, including but not limited to
deceptive loading, handling, weighing, or sampling of grain, or
submitting grain for official inspection or official weighing or
supervision of weighing knowing that it has been deceptively loaded,
handled, weighed, or sampled, without disclosing such knowledge to
the official inspection personnel before official sampling or
official weighing or supervision of weighing;
(4) alter any official sample of grain in any manner or, knowing
that an official sample has been altered, thereafter represent it as
an official sample;
(5) knowingly use any official grade designation or official
mark on any container of grain by means of a tag, label, or
otherwise, unless the grain in such container was officially
inspected on the basis of an official sample taken while the grain
was being loaded into or was in such container or officially
weighed, respectively, and the grain was found to qualify for such
designation or mark;
(6) knowingly make any false representation that any grain has
been officially inspected, or officially inspected and found to be
of a particular kind, class, quality, or condition, or that
particular facts have been established with respect to grain by
official inspection under this chapter, or that any weighing service
under this chapter has been performed with respect to grain;
(7) improperly influence, or attempt to improperly influence,
any official inspection personnel or personnel of agencies delegated
authority or of agencies or other persons designated under this
chapter or any officer or employee of the Department of Agriculture
with respect to the performance of the duties of the officer,
employee, or other person under this chapter;
(8) forcibly assault, resist, oppose, impede, intimidate, or
interfere with any official inspection personnel or personnel of
agencies delegated authority or of agencies or other persons
designated under this chapter or any officer or employee of the
Department of Agriculture in, or on account of, the performance of
the duties of the officer, employee, or other person under this
chapter;
(9) falsely represent that the person is licensed or authorized
to perform an official inspection or official weighing or
supervision of weighing function under this chapter;
(10) use any false or misleading means in connection with the
making or filing of an application for official inspection or
official weighing or supervision of weighing;
(11) violate section 77, 78, 79, 79a, 79b, 84, 87, 87a, 87e, or
87f-1 of this title;
(12) knowingly engage in falsely stating or falsifying the
weight of any grain shipped in interstate or foreign commerce by any
means, including, but not limited to, the use of inaccurate, faulty,
or defective weighing equipment; or
(13) knowingly prevent or impede any buyer or seller of grain or
other person having a financial interest in grain, or the authorized
agent of any such person, from observing the loading of the grain
inspected under this chapter and the weighing, sampling, and
inspection of such grain under conditions prescribed by the
Secretary.
(b) No person licensed or authorized to perform any function under
this chapter shall--
(1) commit any offense prohibited by subsection (a) of this
section;
(2) knowingly perform improperly any official sampling or other
official inspection or weighing function under this chapter;
(3) knowingly execute or issue any false or incorrect official
certificate or other official form; or
(4) accept money or other consideration, directly or indirectly,
for any neglect or improper performance of duty.
(c) An offense shall be deemed to have been committed knowingly
under this chapter if it resulted from gross negligence or was committed
with knowledge of the pertinent facts.
(d)(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), to ensure the quality of
grain marketed in or exported from the United States--
(A) no dockage or foreign material, as defined by the Secretary,
once removed from grain shall be recombined with any grain; and
(B) no dockage or foreign material of any origin may be added to
any grain.
(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall be construed to prohibit--
(A) the treatment of grain to suppress, destroy, or prevent
insects and fungi injurious to stored grain;
(B) the marketing, domestically or for export, of dockage or
foreign material removed from grain if such dockage or foreign
material is marketed--
(i) separately and uncombined with any such whole grain;
(ii) in pelletized form; or
(iii) as a part of a processed ration for livestock,
poultry, or fish;
(C) the blending of grain with similar grain of a different
quality to adjust the quality of the resulting mixture;
(D) the recombination of broken corn or broken kernels, as
defined by the Secretary, with grain of the type from which the
broken corn or broken kernels were derived;
(E) effective for the period ending December 31, 1987, the
recombination of dockage or foreign material, except dust, removed
at an export loading facility from grain destined for shipment as a
cargo under one export official certificate of inspection if--
(i) the recombination occurs during the loading of the
cargo;
(ii) the purpose is to ensure uniformity of dockage or
foreign material throughout that specific cargo; and
(iii) the separation and recombination are conducted in
accordance with regulations issued by the Secretary; or
(F) the addition to grain of a dust suppressant, or the addition
of confetti or any other similar material that serves the same
purpose in a quantity necessary to facilitate identification of
ownership or origin of a particular lot of grain.
(3)(A) The Secretary may, by regulation, exempt from paragraph (1)
the last handling of grain in the final sale and shipment of such grain
to a domestic user or processor if such exemption is determined by the
Secretary to be in the best economic interest of producers, grain
merchants, the industry involved, and the public.
(B) Grain sold under an exemption authorized by this paragraph shall
be consumed or processed into one or more products by the purchaser, but
may not be resold into commercial channels for such grain or blended
with other grain for resale. Neither products nor byproducts derived
therefrom (except vegetable oils as defined by the Secretary and used as
a dust suppressant) shall be blended with or added to grain in
commercial channels.
(e)(1) The Secretary may prohibit the contamination of sound and
pure grain, or prohibit disguising the quality of grain, as a result of
the introduction of--
(A) nongrain substances;
(B) grain unfit for ordinary commercial purposes; or
(C) grain that exceeds action limits established by the Food and
Drug Administration or grain having residues that exceed the
tolerance levels established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) No prohibition imposed under this section shall be construed to
restrict the marketing of any grain so long as the grade or condition of
the grain is properly identified.
(3) Prior to taking action under this subsection, the Secretary
shall promulgate regulations after providing for notice and an
opportunity for public comment, that identify and define actions and
conditions that are subject to prohibition.
(4) In no case shall the Secretary prohibit the blending of an
entire grade of grain.
(5) In implementing paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary shall report any
prohibitions to other appropriate public health agencies.
(Aug. 11, 1916, ch. 313, pt. B, Sec. 13, as added Pub. L. 90-487,
Sec. 1, Aug. 15, 1968, 82 Stat. 766; amended Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15,
Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2883; Pub. L. 95-113, title XVI, Secs. 1604(j),
1606(h), Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 1029, 1030; Pub. L. 99-641, title III,
Sec. 303(a), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3564; Pub. L. 101-624, title XX,
Sec. 2008, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3931; Pub. L. 103-156, Secs. 7,
12(l), Nov. 24, 1993, 107 Stat. 1526, 1529; Pub. L. 103-354, title II,
Sec. 293(a)(7), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3237; Pub. L. 106-472, title I,
Sec. 107, Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2060.)
Amendments
2000--Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 106-472 inserted ``, or prohibit
disguising the quality of grain,'' after ``sound and pure grain'' in
introductory provisions.
1994--Subsecs. (a)(2), (13), (d)(2)(D), (E)(iii), (e)(1), (3) to
(5). Pub. L. 103-354 substituted ``Secretary'' for ``Administrator''
wherever appearing.
1993--Pub. L. 103-156, Sec. 12(l), which directed amendment of
``Section 13'', without specifying the name of the Act being amended,
was executed to this section, which is section 13 of the United States
Grain Standards Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 103-156, Sec. 12(l)(1), substituted ``the
representative of the Administrator'' for ``his representative''.
Subsec. (a)(7), (8). Pub. L. 103-156, Sec. 12(l)(2), substituted
``the duties of the officer, employee, or other person'' for ``his
duties''.
Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 103-156, Sec. 12(l)(3), substituted ``the
person'' for ``he''.
Subsec. (a)(11). Pub. L. 103-156, Sec. 7, amended par. (11)
generally. Prior to amendment, par. (11) read as follows: ``violate any
provision of section 77; 78; 79(f)(2), (3), or (4); 79a; 79b(c); 84; 87;
87a; or 87f-1 of this title;''.
1990--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 101-624 added subsec. (e).
1986--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99-641 added subsec. (d).
1977--Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 95-113, Secs. 1604(j)(1), 1606(h),
substituted ``or condition'' for ``condition, or quantity'' and inserted
``, or that any weighing service under this chapter has been performed
with respect to grain'' after ``official inspection under this
chapter''.
Subsec. (a)(11). Pub. L. 95-113, Sec. 1604(j)(2), inserted
references to sections 79(f)(3) and (4) and 87f-1 of this title.
Subsec. (a)(12). Pub. L. 95-113, Sec. 1604(j)(3), substituted
``weighing equipment'' for ``testing equipment''.
Subsec. (a)(13). Pub. L. 95-113, Sec. 1604(j)(4), substituted
``financial interest in grain'' for ``financial interest in the grain''
and ``loading of the grain'' for ``loading of grain''.
1976--Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(1), substituted
``official mark'' for ``official inspection mark''.
Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(2), substituted
``official mark'' for ``official inspection mark'' in three places,
``official certificate'' for ``official inspection certificate'' and
``Administrator'' for ``Secretary''.
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(2), prohibited deceptive
weighing of grain or submitting grain for official weighing or
supervision of weighing knowing it has been deceptively weighed without
disclosure before official weighing or supervision of weighing.
Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(3), substituted
``official mark'' for ``official inspection mark'' and inserted ``or
officially weighed, respectively,'' after ``such container''.
Subsecs. (a)(7), (8). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(4), inserted ``or
personnel of agencies delegated authority or of agencies or other
persons designated under this chapter'' after ``personnel''.
Subsec. (a)(9). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(5), inserted ``or
official weighing or supervision of weighing'' after ``official
inspection''.
Subsec. (a)(10). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(5), (6), inserted ``or
official weighing or supervision of weighing'' after ``official
inspection'' and struck out ``or'' at end.
Subsec. (a)(11). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(5), inserted after
``sections 77, 78,'' references to ``79(f)(2), 79a, 79b(c)''.
Subsecs. (a)(12), (13). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(a)(6), added pars.
(12) and (13).
Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 94-582, Sec. 15(b), substituted ``inspection
or weighing function'' for ``inspection function''.
Effective Date of 1986 Amendment
Section 303(b) of Pub. L. 99-641 provided that: ``The amendments
made by this section [amending this section] shall become effective on
May 1, 1987.''
Effective Date of 1977 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 95-113 effective Oct. 1, 1977, see section 1901
of Pub. L. 95-113, set out as a note under section 1307 of this title.
Effective Date of 1976 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 94-582 effective 30 days after Oct. 21, 1976,
see section 27 of Pub. L. 94-582, as amended, set out as a note under
section 74 of this title.
Effective Date
For effective date of section, see section 2 of Pub. L. 90-487, set
out as an Effective Date of 1968 Amendment note under section 78 of this
title.
Benefits and Costs Associated With Improved Grain Quality
Administrator of Federal Grain Inspection Service to estimate
economic impact, including benefits and costs and distribution of such
benefits and costs, of any major changes necessary to carry out
amendments to this section by title XX of Pub. L. 101-624 prior to
making such changes, see section 2003 of Pub. L. 101-624, set out as a
note under section 76 of this title.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 85, 86, 87c of this title.
