51 U.S.C. § 50917: Enforcement and penalty

Summary

People must not break the rules in this chapter, the regulations made under it, or the terms of any license issued or transferred under it. The Secretary of Transportation can investigate and hold inquiries, give oaths, take sworn statements, and at reasonable times enter launch, reentry, production, assembly, training, or payload integration sites to inspect items or records the Secretary requires. If there is good reason to believe an item or record was or will be used to break these rules, the Secretary can seize it. The Secretary can also give enforcement duties to an officer of another executive agency if that agency’s head agrees. After giving notice and holding a formal recorded hearing, the Secretary can make someone who broke the rules pay up to $100,000 to the U.S. government. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate violation. The Secretary can require witnesses and records and ask a federal court to enforce those requests. The Secretary must give written notice when imposing a penalty, can settle, reduce, or cancel a penalty, and must collect any unpaid penalty after it is final or after a court gives a final judgment.

Title 51, §50917

National and Commercial Space Programs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Prohibitions.—

A person may not violate this chapter, a regulation prescribed under this chapter, or any term of a license issued or transferred under this chapter.

(b)General Authority.—

(1)In carrying out this chapter, the Secretary of Transportation may—

(A)conduct investigations and inquiries;

(B)administer oaths;

(C)take affidavits; and

(D)under lawful process—

(i)enter at a reasonable time a launch site, reentry site, production facility, assembly site of a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle, crew or space flight participant training site, or site at which a payload is integrated with a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle to inspect an object to which this chapter applies or a record or report the Secretary requires be made or kept under this chapter; and

(ii)seize the object, record, or report when there is probable cause to believe the object, record, or report was used, is being used, or likely will be used in violation of this chapter.

(2)The Secretary may delegate a duty or power under this chapter related to enforcement to an officer or employee of another executive agency with the consent of the head of the agency.

(c)Civil Penalty.—

(1)After notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the record, a person the Secretary finds to have violated subsection (a) of this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $100,000. A separate violation occurs for each day the violation continues.

(2)In conducting a hearing under paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Secretary may—

(A)subpena witnesses and records; and

(B)enforce a subpena in an appropriate district court of the United States.

(3)The Secretary shall impose the civil penalty by written notice. The Secretary may compromise or remit a penalty imposed, or that may be imposed, under this section.

(4)The Secretary shall recover a civil penalty not paid after the penalty is final or after a court enters a final judgment for the Secretary.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 70115(a)49 App.:2617.Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–575, §§ 17–19, 98 Stat. 3061. 70115(b)(1)49 App.:2616(b). 70115(b)(2)49 App.:2616(a). 70115(c)(1)49 App.:2618(a) (1st, 2d sentences). 70115(c)(2)49 App.:2618(c). 70115(c)(3)49 App.:2618(a) (3d, last sentences). 70115(c)(4)49 App.:2618(b). In subsection (a), the words “a requirement of” are omitted as surplus. The word “prescribed” is substituted for “issued” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The words “condition, or restriction” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (b)(1)(A)–(C), the words “concerning any matter relating to

Enforcement

of this chapter” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (b)(1)(B) and (C), the words “from any person” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (b)(1)(B), the word “affirmation” is omitted because of 1:1. In subsection (b)(2), the text of 49 App.:2616(a) (1st sentence) is omitted as surplus because the Secretary of Transportation enforces programs the Secretary carries out unless otherwise provided. The words “the exercise of” are omitted as surplus. The words “duty or power” are substituted for “authority” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the Code. The words “to any officer or employee of the Department of Transportation” are omitted as surplus because of 49:322(b). In subsection (c)(1), the words “in accordance with section 554 of title 5” are omitted for consistency in the revised title and because 5:554 applies to a hearing on the record unless otherwise stated. The words “for each violation” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (c)(2), the words “relevant papers, books, documents, and other” are omitted as surplus. The words “(3) administer oaths and affirmatives” are omitted as surplus because of subsection (b)(1)(B) of this section. In subsection (c)(3), the word “impose” is substituted for “assessed” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the Code. The words “amount of such” and “modify . . . with or without conditions” are omitted as surplus. Subsection (c)(4) is substituted for 49 App.:2618(b) to eliminate unnecessary words.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–314 successively renumbered section 70115 of title 49 and section 70115 of this title as this section. 2004—Subsec. (b)(1)(D)(i). Pub. L. 108–492 inserted “crew or space flight participant training site,” after “site of a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle,”. 1998—Subsec. (b)(1)(D)(i). Pub. L. 105–303 inserted “reentry site,” after “launch site,” and inserted “or reentry vehicle” after “launch vehicle” in two places.

§50917 Enforcement and Penalty