Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73
§209 Liability to individuals for violations; enforcement generally
Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - STOCKYARDS AND STOCKYARD DEALERS › § 209
Summary
People covered who break rules on livestock or poultry trade, poultry-growing arrangements, or swine production contracts must pay all losses to the people who are harmed. Injured people can complain to the Secretary under section 210 or sue in a U.S. district court. Existing remedies remain.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §209
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)If any person subject to this chapter violates any of the provisions of this chapter, or of any order of the Secretary under this chapter, relating to the purchase, sale, or handling of livestock, the purchase or sale of poultry, or relating to any poultry growing arrangement or swine production contract, he shall be liable to the person or persons injured thereby for the full amount of damages sustained in consequence of such violation.
(b)Such liability may be enforced either (1) by complaint to the Secretary as provided in section 210 of this title, or (2) by suit in any district court of the United States of competent jurisdiction; but this section shall not in any way abridge or alter the remedies now existing at common law or by statute, but the provisions of this chapter are in addition to such remedies.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–171 inserted “or swine production contract” after “poultry growing arrangement”. 1987—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–173 inserted “the purchase or sale of poultry, or relating to any poultry growing arrangement,” after “livestock,”. 1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–410 struck out references to violations of specific sections and added packers to categories of regulated persons against whom private action could be brought for violation of chapter.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1987 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–173 effective 90 days after Nov. 23, 1987, see section 12 of Pub. L. 100–173, set out as a note under section 182 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 209
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73