Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§8306 Seizure, quarantine, and disposal

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 109— - ANIMAL HEALTH PROTECTION › § 8306

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can hold, seize, quarantine, treat, destroy, or otherwise deal with animals, their offspring, items, facilities, or transport that moved between states or were imported if there is reason to think they might carry, were exposed to, or are affected by livestock pests or diseases, or if they were moved or handled in violation of the rules, or if required post-import or post-movement conditions were not followed. If an extraordinary emergency exists from a pest or disease that threatens U.S. livestock, the Secretary can act to stop spread, including killing animals to prevent spread and limiting movement or use within a State or part of a State. The Secretary can order an owner in writing to quarantine, dispose of, or fix the problem. If the owner refuses, the Secretary can act and charge the owner for costs. The Secretary must pay owners for animals, items, facilities, or transport it requires destroyed, based on fair market value as the Secretary decides, but reduced by any payments the owner gets from a State or others. The Secretary’s payment decision is final and cannot be reviewed by courts or other federal employees except the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee. No payment is made if the owner violated control agreements or the law, if offspring are involved from such violations, if entry was refused, or if the owner’s violations caused the infection or exposure. Before acting in a State, the Secretary must find State measures are inadequate and consult and notify the Governor or tribal head, make a public announcement, and publish findings, proposed action, and reasons in the Federal Register, or do so within 10 business days if immediate action is needed.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §8306

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may hold, seize, quarantine, treat, destroy, dispose of, or take other remedial action with respect to—
(1)any animal or progeny of any animal, article, or means of conveyance that—
(A)is moving or has been moved in interstate commerce or has been imported and entered; and
(B)the Secretary has reason to believe may carry, may have carried, or may have been affected with or exposed to any pest or disease of livestock at the time of movement or that is otherwise in violation of this chapter;
(2)any animal or progeny of any animal, article, or means of conveyance that is moving or is being handled, or has moved or has been handled, in interstate commerce in violation of this chapter;
(3)any animal or progeny of any animal, article, or means of conveyance that has been imported, and is moving or is being handled or has moved or has been handled, in violation of this chapter; or
(4)any animal or progeny of any animal, article, or means of conveyance that the Secretary finds is not being maintained, or has not been maintained, in accordance with any post-importation quarantine, post-importation condition, post-movement quarantine, or post-movement condition in accordance with this chapter.
(b)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), if the Secretary determines that an extraordinary emergency exists because of the presence in the United States of a pest or disease of livestock and that the presence of the pest or disease threatens the livestock of the United States, the Secretary may—
(A)hold, seize, treat, apply other remedial actions to, destroy (including preventative slaughter), or otherwise dispose of, any animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance if the Secretary determines the action is necessary to prevent the dissemination of the pest or disease; and
(B)prohibit or restrict the movement or use within a State, or any portion of a State of any animal or article, means of conveyance, or facility if the Secretary determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the dissemination of the pest or disease.
(2)(A)The Secretary may take action in a State under this subsection only on finding that measures being taken by the State are inadequate to control or eradicate the pest or disease, after review and consultation with—
“(i)11 So in original. Opening quotation marks probably should not appear. the Governor or an appropriate animal health official of the State; or
“(ii)1 in the case of any animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance under the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe, the head of the Indian tribe.
(B)Subject to subparagraph (C), before any action is taken in a State under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall—
(i)notify the Governor, an appropriate animal health official of the State, or head of the Indian tribe of the proposed action;
(ii)issue a public announcement of the proposed action; and
(iii)publish in the Federal Register—
(I)the findings of the Secretary;
(II)a description of the proposed action; and
(III)a statement of the reasons for the proposed action.
(C)If it is not practicable to publish in the Federal Register the information required under subparagraph (B)(iii) before taking action under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall publish the information as soon as practicable, but not later than 10 business days, after commencement of the action.
(c)(1)The Secretary, in writing, may order the owner of any animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance referred to in subsection (a) or (b) to maintain in quarantine, dispose of, or take other remedial action with respect to the animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance, in a manner determined by the Secretary.
(2)If the owner fails to comply with the order of the Secretary, the Secretary may—
(A)seize, quarantine, dispose of, or take other remedial action with respect to the animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance under subsection (a) or (b); and
(B)recover from the owner the costs of any care, handling, disposal, or other remedial action incurred by the Secretary in connection with the seizure, quarantine, disposal, or other remedial action.
(d)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall compensate the owner of any animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance that the Secretary requires to be destroyed under this section.
(2)(A)Subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), the compensation shall be based on the fair market value, as determined by the Secretary, of the destroyed animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance.
(B)Compensation paid any owner under this subsection shall not exceed the difference between—
(i)the fair market value of the destroyed animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance; and
(ii)any compensation received by the owner from a State or other source for the destroyed animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance.
(C)The determination by the Secretary of the amount to be paid under this subsection shall be final and not subject to judicial review or review by any officer or employee of the Federal Government other than the Secretary or the designee of the Secretary.
(3)No payment shall be made by the Secretary under this subsection for—
(A)any animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance that has been moved or handled by the owner in violation of an agreement for the control and eradication of diseases or pests or in violation of this chapter;
(B)any progeny of any animal or article, which animal or article has been moved or handled by the owner of the animal or article in violation of this chapter;
(C)any animal, article, or means of conveyance that is refused entry under this chapter; or
(D)any animal, article, facility, or means of conveyance that becomes or has become affected with or exposed to any pest or disease of livestock because of a violation of an agreement for the control and eradication of diseases or pests or a violation of this chapter by the owner.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (d)(3), was in the original “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle E (§§ 10401–10418) of title X of Pub. L. 107–171, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 494, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of subtitle E to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 8301 of this title and Tables. Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 made identical

Amendments

to this section. The

Amendments

by Pub. L. 110–234 were repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (d)(2)(C). Pub. L. 110–246, § 11011(1), struck out “of longer than 60 days” after “or review”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2008 AmendmentAmendment 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 an

Effective Date

note under section 8701 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

For

Transfer of Functions

of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to agricultural import and entry inspection activities under this chapter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 231, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 8306

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73