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Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-102

§56 Establishment of Cotton Standards; Furnishing Copies of Established Standards Sold

Title 7 › CHAPTER 2 — COTTON STANDARDS › § 56

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can create official U.S. cotton standards that say how cotton is graded for business. Any new standard or change only starts on the date the Secretary names, and that date must be at least one year after the order. The standards that became effective August 1, 1923 under the United States Cotton Futures Act stay official until changed. A new standard can also be made to replace any conflicting rule under that Act. When the standards are put into usable form, the Department of Agriculture will give copies to anyone who asks. The requester must pay the cost set by the Secretary. The Secretary can have copies certified with the Department seal and can set conditions for buying and using them, including allowing Department agents to inspect, reject, or exchange copies as needed.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §56

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to establish from time to time standards for the classification of cotton by which its quality or value may be judged or determined for commercial purposes which shall be known as the official cotton standards of the United States. Any such standard or change or replacement thereof shall become effective only on and after a date specified in the order of the Secretary of Agriculture establishing the same, which date shall be not less than one year after the date of such order: Provided, That the official cotton standards established, effective August 1, 1923, under the United States Cotton Futures Act shall be at the same time the official cotton standards for the purpose of this chapter unless and until changed or replaced under this chapter. Whenever any standard or change or replacement thereof shall become effective under this chapter, it shall also, when so specified in the order of the Secretary of Agriculture, become effective for the purposes of the United States Cotton Futures Act and supersede any inconsistent standard established under said Act. Whenever the official cotton standards of the United States established under this chapter shall be represented by practical forms the Department of Agriculture shall furnish copies thereof, upon request, to any person, and the cost thereof, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, shall be paid by the person making the request. The Secretary of Agriculture may cause such copies to be certified under the seal of the Department of Agriculture and may attach such conditions to the purchase and use thereof, including provision for the inspection, condemnation, and exchange thereof by duly authorized representatives of the Department of Agriculture as he may find to be necessary to the proper application of the official cotton standards of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The United States Cotton Futures Act, referred to in text, is part A of act Aug. 11, 1916, ch. 313, 39 Stat. 476, which was repealed by section 4 of act Feb. 10, 1939, ch. 2, 53 Stat. 1. For complete classification of this Act to the Code prior to its repeal, see Tables. Codification Section is composed of the first five sentences of subsec. (a) of section 6 of act Mar. 4, 1923, as renumbered by section 401(b), of act Sept. 21, 1944. Last sentence of subsec. (a) of section 6 is classified to section 57 of this title. Subsec. (b) of section 6 is classified to section 57a of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 56

Title 7, Agriculture

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102