§13a — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

The Commission can order a registered entity or its directors, officers, agents, or employees to stop breaking rules or failing to enforce required self-government rules after it gives notice and holds a formal hearing. The decision can be appealed under section 8(b). The Commission can also fine them up to $500,000 for each violation, or up to $1,000,000 for each manipulation or attempted manipulation that violates sections 9, 15, 13b, or 13(a)(2). If the person or entity does not follow the stop order after appeals are over or it is affirmed, they can be charged with a crime. That crime is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500,000 fine, or 6 months to 1 year in jail, or both. If the violation involved section 13(a)(2), it is a felony and faces penalties under that section. Each day the order is ignored counts as a separate offense. If a civil penalty is not paid after appeals, the Commission will ask the Attorney General to collect it in federal court. In setting fines, the Commission must consider how serious the violation was and, for a registered entity, whether the fine would cripple its ability to operate.

Title 7, §13a

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

If any registered entity is not enforcing or has not enforced its rules of government made a condition of its designation or registration as set forth in sections 7 through 7a–2 of this title, or if any registered entity, or any director, officer, agent, or employee of any registered entity otherwise is violating or has violated any of the provisions of this chapter or any of the rules, regulations, or orders of the Commission thereunder, the Commission may, upon notice and hearing on the record and subject to appeal as in other cases provided for in section 8(b) of this title, make and enter an order directing that such registered entity, director, officer, agent, or employee shall cease and desist from such violation, and assess a civil penalty of not more than $500,000 for each such violation, or, in any case of manipulation or attempted manipulation in violation of section 9, 15, 13b, or 13(a)(2) of this title, a civil penalty of not more than $1,000,000 for each such violation. If such registered entity, director, officer, agent, or employee, after the entry of such a cease and desist order and the lapse of the period allowed for appeal of such order or after the affirmance of such order, shall fail or refuse to obey or comply with such order, such registered entity, director, officer, agent, or employee shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500,000 or imprisoned for not less than six months nor more than one year, or both, except that if the failure or refusal to obey or comply with the order involved any offense under section 13(a)(2) of this title, the registered entity, director, officer, agent, or employee shall be guilty of a felony and, on conviction, shall be subject to penalties under section 13(a)(2) of this title. Each day during which such failure or refusal to obey such cease and desist order continues shall be deemed a separate offense. If the offending registered entity or other person upon whom such penalty is imposed, after the lapse of the period allowed for appeal or after the affirmance of such penalty, shall fail to pay such penalty, the Commission shall refer the matter to the Attorney General who shall recover such penalty by action in the appropriate United States district court. In determining the amount of the money penalty assessed under this section, the Commission shall consider the gravity of the offense, and in the case of a registered entity shall further consider whether the amount of the penalty will materially impair the ability of the registered entity to carry on its operations and duties.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2008—Pub. L. 110–246, § 13103(b), in first sentence, inserted before period at end “, or, in any case of manipulation or attempted manipulation in violation of section 9, 15, 13b, or 13(a)(2) of this title, a civil penalty of not more than $1,000,000 for each such violation” and, in second sentence, inserted before period at end “, except that if the failure or refusal to obey or comply with the order involved any offense under section 13(a)(2) of this title, the registered entity, director, officer, agent, or employee shall be guilty of a felony and, on conviction, shall be subject to penalties under section 13(a)(2) of this title”. 2000—Pub. L. 106–554 substituted “registered entity” for “contract market” wherever appearing, “designation or registration as set forth in sections 7 through 7a–2 of this title” for “designation as set forth in section 7 of this title” in first sentence, and “the ability of the registered entity” for “the contract market’s ability” in last sentence. 1992—Pub. L. 102–546 substituted “section 8(b) of this title” for “paragraph (a) of section 8 of this title”, substituted “$500,000” for “$100,000” in two places, and in last sentence struck out “the appropriateness of such penalty to the net worth of the offending person and” after “Commission shall consider”. 1978—Pub. L. 95–405 inserted “on the record” after “notice and hearing”. 1974—Pub. L. 93–463 inserted provision for assessment of a civil penalty of not more than $100,000 for each violation, substituted “not more than $100,000” for “not less than $500 nor more than $10,000” as permissible range of fines imposed, inserted provisions for

Enforcement

of a penalty, and substituted “orders of the Commission” for “orders of the Secretary of Agriculture or the commission”. 1968—Pub. L. 90–258 amended section to clarify application only to boards of trade designated as contract markets, to include as grounds for cease and desist orders failure to enforce the market’s rules of government made a condition of its designation and violation of rules or

Regulations

of the commission or orders of the Secretary, and to authorize such orders in conjunction with a suspension or revocation of designation as a contract market rather than in lieu of suspension or revocation.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of this title.

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of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–405 effective Oct. 1, 1978, see section 28 of Pub. L. 95–405, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

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of 1974 AmendmentFor

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of amendment by Pub. L. 93–463, see section 418 of Pub. L. 93–463, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

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of 1968 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 90–258 effective 120 days after Feb. 19, 1968, see section 28 of Pub. L. 90–258, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.

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For

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of section, see section 13 of act June 15, 1936, set out as an

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of 1936 Amendment note under section 1 of this title.

§13a Nonenforcement of rules of government or other violations; cease and desist orders; fines and penalties; imprisonment; misdemeanor; separate offenses

Summary

Title 7, §13a

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