Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73
§13c Responsibility as principal; minor violations
Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - COMMODITY EXCHANGES › § 13c
Summary
People who help, encourage, order, or cause someone to break the rules are treated the same as if they did the wrong act themselves. That includes working with others, directing someone, or making an act happen that breaks the rules. If you control someone who breaks the rules, you can be sued too. The Commission must show either you did not act in good faith or you knowingly caused the violation. The Commission does not have to seek criminal charges for small violations when the public interest does not require it.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §13c
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Any person who commits, or who willfully aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, or procures the commission of, a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, or any of the rules, regulations, or orders issued pursuant to this chapter, or who acts in combination or concert with any other person in any such violation, or who willfully causes an act to be done or omitted which if directly performed or omitted by him or another would be a violation of the provisions of this chapter or any of such rules, regulations, or orders may be held responsible for such violation as a principal.
(b)Any person who, directly or indirectly, controls any person who has violated any provision of this chapter or any of the rules, regulations, or orders issued pursuant to this chapter may be held liable for such violation in any action brought by the Commission to the same extent as such controlled person. In such action, the Commission has the burden of proving that the controlling person did not act in good faith or knowingly induced, directly or indirectly, the act or acts constituting the violation.
(c)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as requiring the Commission or the Commission 11 So in original. The words “or the Commission” probably should not appear. to report minor violations of this chapter for prosecution, whenever it appears that the public interest does not require such action.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–546, § 402(9)(C), which directed that “the Secretary of Agriculture or” be struck out, could not be executed because of amendment by Pub. L. 93–463, § 103(a). See 1974 Amendment note below. Pub. L. 102–546, § 402(1)(D), substituted “Commission” for “commission” before “to report”. 1983—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–444, § 230(1), struck out “in administrative proceedings under this chapter” after “may be held responsible”. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 97–444, § 230(2), (3), added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c). 1974—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–463, § 103(a), provided for substitution of “Commission” for “Secretary of Agriculture” except where such words would be stricken by section 103(b), which directed striking the words “the Secretary of Agriculture or” where they appeared in the phrase “the Secretary of Agriculture or the Commission”. Because the word “commission” was not capitalized in the text of this section, section 103(b) did not apply to this section and therefore section 103(a) was executed, resulting in the substitution of “the Commission or the commission” for “the Secretary of Agriculture or the commission”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1983 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 97–444 effective Jan. 11, 1983, see section 239 of Pub. L. 97–444, set out as a note under section 2 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1974 AmendmentFor
Effective Date
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.
Effective Date
Section effective 120 days after Feb. 19, 1968, see section 28 of Pub. L. 90–258, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1968 Amendment note under section 2 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 13c
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73