Title 7 — AgricultureRelease 119-73
§2209j Permanent debarment from participation in Department of Agriculture programs for fraud
Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › § 2209j
Summary
Anyone found guilty of a felony for knowingly cheating the U.S. in a USDA program must be permanently blocked from USDA programs. The Secretary can shorten that block, but it must be at least 10 years. The block does not cover domestic food assistance programs as the Secretary defines them.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §2209j
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture shall permanently debar an individual, organization, corporation, or other entity convicted of a felony for knowingly defrauding the United States in connection with any program administered by the Department of Agriculture from any subsequent participation in Department of Agriculture programs.
(b)(1)The Secretary may reduce a debarment under subsection (a) to a period of not less than 10 years if the Secretary considers it appropriate.
(2)A debarment under subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to participation in domestic food assistance programs (as defined by the Secretary).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Enactment 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 a note under section 8701 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 2209j
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73