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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110

§228 Authority of Secretary

Title 7 › CHAPTER 9 — PACKERS AND STOCKYARDS › SUBCHAPTER V — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 228

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can make the rules and orders needed to run this part of the law. The Secretary may work with federal, state, local governments, or private people. The Secretary can hire, fire, and set pay for staff as allowed by law. The Secretary can spend money for things needed to run the program, like rent outside the District of Columbia, printing, communications, legal and reference books, office furniture and equipment, travel, and other supplies. Congress must provide the money, and funds may be taken from the Treasury if not already set aside. The Secretary’s powers do not cover deductions from sales money that pay for promotion, research, or education about livestock, meat, or other covered products. On or before February 15 of each year, beginning in 1977, the Secretary must testify before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture and explain the budget request for the next fiscal year. Within 60 days after September 13, 1976, the Secretary had to make rules so hearings paid for under this law are held in the area affected: inside the local government if the hearing affects one local unit; inside the geographic area if it affects one special area; or inside the State if it affects the whole State. A "unit of local government" means a county, city, town, township, village, or similar local government. A "geographic area within a State" means a special district or other government-recognized region that is not a local government.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §228

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Rules, regulations, and expenditures; appropriations
The Secretary may make such rules, regulations, and orders as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and may cooperate with any department or agency of the Government, any State, Territory, District, or possession, or department, agency, or political subdivision thereof, or any person; and shall have the power to appoint, remove, and fix the compensation of such officers and employees, not in conflict with existing law, and make such expenditures for rent outside the District of Columbia, printing, telegrams, telephones, law books, books of reference, periodicals, furniture, stationery, office equipment, travel, and other supplies and expenses as shall be necessary to the administration of this chapter in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, and as may be appropriated for by Congress, and there is authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary for such purpose.
(b)Deductions from proceeds for financing promotional, educational, and research activities
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the authority of the Secretary under this chapter shall not apply to deductions made from sales proceeds for the purpose of financing promotion and research activities, including educational activities relating to livestock, meat, and other products covered by the chapter.
(c)Budget estimate; testimony of Secretary before Congressional committees
On or before February 15 of each calendar year beginning with calendar year 1977, or such other date as may be specified by the appropriate committee, the Secretary of Agriculture shall testify before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the House Committee on Agriculture and provide justification in detail of the amount requested in the budget to be appropriated for the next fiscal year for the purposes authorized in this chapter.
(d)Development and promulgation of rules governing hearings
The Secretary shall, not later than sixty days after September 13, 1976, prescribe and implement rules to assure that any hearing from which any order may issue under this chapter or any hearing the expenses of which are paid from funds authorized to be appropriated under this chapter shall—
(1)if such hearing concerns a single unit of local government or the residents thereof, be held within the boundaries of such unit;
(2)if such hearing concerns a single geographic area within a State or the residents thereof, be held within the boundaries of such area; or
(3)if such hearing concerns a single State or the residents thereof, be held within such State.
(e)Definitions
For the purposes of subsection (d)—
(1)the term “unit of local government” means a county, municipality, town, township, village, or other unit of general government below the State level; and
(2)the term “geographic area within a State” means a special purpose district or other region recognized for governmental purposes within such State which is not a unit of local government.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 103–354, § 293(b)(1), (2), redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “The Secretary shall maintain within the Department of Agriculture a separate

Enforcement

unit to administer and enforce subchapter II of this chapter.” Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–437, which directed the amendment of subsec. (d) by substituting “Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry” for “Committee on Agriculture and Forestry”, was executed by making the amendment to subsec. (c) to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the intervening redesignation of subsec. (d) as (c) by Pub. L. 103–354. See below. Pub. L. 103–354, § 293(b)(2), redesignated subsec. (d) as (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (b). Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 103–354, § 293(b)(2), (3), redesignated subsecs. (d) to (f) as (c) to (e), respectively, and in subsec. (e) substituted “subsection (d)” for “subsection (e)”. 1976—Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 94–410 added subsecs. (d) to (f). 1963—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 88–61 added subsec. (c). 1958—Pub. L. 85–909 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Regulations

Pub. L. 110–234, title XI, § 11006,
May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1358, and Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title XI, § 11006,
June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2120, provided that: “As soon as practicable, but not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act [
June 18, 2008], the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate

Regulations

with respect to the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921 (7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.) to establish criteria that the Secretary will consider in determining— “(1) whether an undue or unreasonable preference or advantage has occurred in violation of such Act; “(2) whether a live poultry dealer has provided reasonable notice to poultry growers of any suspension of the delivery of birds under a poultry growing arrangement; “(3) when a requirement of additional capital investments over the life of a poultry growing arrangement or swine production contract constitutes a violation of such Act; and “(4) if a live poultry dealer or swine contractor has provided a reasonable period of time for a poultry grower or a swine production contract grower to remedy a breach of contract that could lead to termination of the poultry growing arrangement or swine production contract.” [Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical provisions. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of this title.]

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 228

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110