7 U.S.C. § 79b

Current through P.L. 118-106 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/04/2024)
Section 79b - Testing of equipment
(a) Random and periodic testing at least annually; fees

The Secretary shall provide for the testing of all equipment used in the sampling, grading, inspection, and weighing for the purpose of official inspection, official weighing, or supervision of weighing of grain located at all grain elevators, warehouses, or other storage or handling facilities at which official inspection or weighing services are provided under this chapter, to be made on a random and periodic basis, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, as the Secretary deems necessary to assure the accuracy and integrity of such equipment. Such regulations shall provide for the charging and collection of reasonable fees to cover the estimated costs to the Secretary incident to the performance of such testing by employees of the Secretary. Such fees shall be deposited into the fund created by section 79(j) of this title.

(b) Personnel to conduct testing

The Secretary is authorized to cause such testing provided for in subsection (a) to be performed (1) by personnel employed by the Secretary, or (2) by States, political subdivisions thereof, or persons under the supervision of the Secretary, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe.

(c) Use of non-approved equipment prohibited

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall use for the purposes of this chapter any such equipment not approved by the Secretary.

7 U.S.C. § 79b

Aug. 11, 1916, ch. 313, pt. B, §7B, as added Pub. L. 94-582, §9, Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2877; amended Pub. L. 95-113, title XVI, §1604(f), Sept. 29, 1977, 91 Stat. 1028; Pub. L. 103-156, §12(f), Nov. 24, 1993, 107 Stat. 1528; Pub. L. 103-354, title II, §293(a)(7), (8), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3237; Pub. L. 106-472, title I, §104, Nov. 9, 2000, 114 Stat. 2060.

EDITORIAL NOTES

AMENDMENTS2000-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 106-472 struck out "but at least annually and" before "under such regulations" in first sentence.1994- Pub. L. 103-354 substituted "Secretary" for "Administrator" and "Service" wherever appearing.1993-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-156 which directed amendment of "Section 7B(a)" by substituting "as the Administrator deems necessary" for "as he deems necessary", without specifying the name of the Act being amended, was executed to this section, which is section 7B of the United States Grain Standards Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.1977-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 95-113, §1604(f)(1), (2), substituted "and weighing for the purpose of official inspection, official weighing, or supervision of weighing of grain located at all grain elevators" for "and weighing of grain located at all grain elevators" and inserted provisions that regulations provide for the charging and collection of reasonable fees to cover the estimated costs to the Service incident to the performance of testing by employees of the Service and that the fees be deposited into the fund created by section 79(j) of this title.Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95-113, §1604(f)(3), substituted "shall use for the purposes of this chapter" for "shall use".

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

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 DATESection effective 30 days after Oct. 21, 1976, see section 27 of Pub. L. 94-582 as amended, set out as an Effective Date of 1976 Amendment note under section 74 of this title.

Secretary
the term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States or delegates of the Secretary;
United States
the term "United States" means the States (including Puerto Rico) and the territories and possessions of the United States (including the District of Columbia);
grain
the term "grain" means corn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, flaxseed, sorghum, soybeans, mixed grain, and any other food grains, feed grains, and oilseeds for which standards are established under section 76 of this title;
official inspection
the term "official inspection" means the determination (by original inspection, and when requested, reinspection and appeal inspection) and the certification, by official inspection personnel of the kind, class, quality, or condition of grain, under standards provided for in this chapter, or the condition of vessels and other carriers or receptacles for the transportation of grain insofar as it may affect the quality or condition of such grain; or other facts relating to grain under other criteria approved by the Secretary under this chapter (the term "officially inspected" shall be construed accordingly);
official weighing
the term "official weighing" means the determination and certification by official inspection personnel of the quantity of a lot of grain under standards provided for in this chapter, based on the actual performance of weighing or the physical supervision thereof, including the physical inspection and testing for accuracy of the weights and scales and the physical inspection of the premises at which the weighing is performed and the monitoring of the discharge of grain into the elevator or conveyance (the terms "officially weigh" and "officially weighed" shall be construed accordingly);
person
the term "person" means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other business entity;
supervision of weighing
the term "supervision of weighing" means such supervision by official inspection personnel of the grain-weighing process as is determined by the Secretary to be adequate to reasonably assure the integrity and accuracy of the weighing and of certificates which set forth the weight of the grain and such physical inspection by such personnel of the premises at which the grain weighing is performed as will reasonably assure that all the grain intended to be weighed has been weighed and discharged into the elevator or conveyance; and