§228a — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary can ask the Attorney General to go to a federal court and get a temporary court order to stop a person from doing business under this law. This can happen if the person has not paid or cannot pay for animals or related products, has not paid poultry growers, has not turned over commission sales money, ran the business while broke or in a way that could seriously harm others, or does not have a required bond. The stop can stay in place until the Secretary dismisses a complaint or a Secretary’s cease‑and‑desist order is final or overturned on appeal. If the court finds good cause, it can issue the temporary order without requiring a bond. Lawyers from the Secretary’s office may represent the Secretary in the court action with approval from the Attorney General.

Title 7, §228a

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whenever the Secretary has reason to believe that any person subject to this chapter (a) with respect to any transactions subject to this chapter, has failed to pay or is unable to pay for livestock, meats, meat food products, or livestock products in unmanufactured form, or live poultry, or has failed to pay any poultry grower what is due on account of poultry obtained under a poultry growing arrangement, or has failed to remit to the person entitled thereto the net proceeds from the sale of any such commodity sold on a commission basis; or (b) has operated while insolvent, or otherwise in violation of this chapter in a manner which may reasonably be expected to cause irreparable damage to another person; or (c) does not have the required bond; and that it would be in the public interest to enjoin such person from operating subject to this chapter or enjoin him from operating subject to this chapter except under such conditions as would protect vendors or consignors of such commodities or other affected persons, until a complaint under this chapter is issued and dismissed by the Secretary or until an order to cease and desist made thereon by the Secretary has become final and effective within the meaning of this chapter or is set aside on appellate review of the Secretary’s order, the Secretary may notify the Attorney General, who may apply to the United States district court for the district in which such person has his principal place of business or in which he resides for a temporary injunction or restraining order. When needed to effectuate the purposes of this section, the court shall, upon a proper showing, issue a temporary injunction or restraining order, without bond. Attorneys employed by the Secretary of Agriculture may, with the approval of the Attorney General, appear in the United States district court representing the Secretary in any action seeking such a temporary restraining order or injunction.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification A prior section 228a, act Sept. 21, 1944, ch. 412, title I, § 101(c), 58 Stat. 734, which related to inspections of livestock, hides, animal products, etc., was transferred to section 396 of this title.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 408 of act Aug. 15, 1921, was renumbered section 417 and is classified to section 229c of this title.

Amendments

1987—Pub. L. 100–173 inserted “or live poultry, or has failed to pay any poultry grower what is due on account of poultry obtained under a poultry growing arrangement,” after “unmanufactured form,”.

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.

§228a Authority of Secretary to request temporary injunction or restraining order