Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§1595 Seizure

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 37— - SEEDS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 1595

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Seed sold or shipped across state lines or to other countries that breaks these rules can be seized and taken to federal court. The court can condemn the seed and then either sell it, give it back to the owner if the owner appears, pays court and storage costs, and posts a bond with reliable sureties promising not to resell it where it’s prohibited, or order the seed destroyed. If sold, the money left after paying costs goes to the U.S. Treasury. The case uses special court procedures like those in ship (maritime) cases, but either side may demand a jury for factual issues, and the United States brings the case.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §1595

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any seed sold, delivered for transportation in interstate commerce, or transported in interstate or foreign commerce in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall, at the time of such violation or at any time thereafter, be liable to be proceeded against on libel of information and condemned in any district court of the United States within the jurisdiction of which the seed is found.
(b)If seed is condemned by a decree of the court as being in violation of the provisions of this chapter, it may be disposed of by the court by—
(1)sale; or
(2)delivery to the owner thereof after he has appeared as claimant and paid the court costs and fees and storage and other proper expenses and executed and delivered a bond with good and sufficient sureties that such seed will not be sold or disposed of in any jurisdiction contrary to the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations made and promulgated thereunder, or the laws of such jurisdiction; or
(3)destruction.
(c)If such seed is disposed of by sale, the proceeds of the sale, less the court costs and fees and storage and other proper expenses, shall be paid into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts, but such seed shall not be sold or disposed of in any jurisdiction contrary to the provisions of this chapter and the rules and regulations made and promulgated thereunder, or the laws of such jurisdiction.
(d)The proceedings in such libel cases shall conform, as nearly as may be, to the proceedings in admiralty, except that either party may demand trial by jury of any issue of fact joined in any such case; and such proceedings shall be at the suit of and in the name of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

See section 1610 of this title

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 1595

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73