Title 7, AgricultureRelease 119-110
§87f Enforcement Provisions
Title 7 › CHAPTER 3 — GRAIN STANDARDS › § 87f
Summary
The Secretary can order people to give papers and to come and testify when investigating matters under this law. The Secretary may look at and copy documents at reasonable times, require attendance and production of documents by legal order called a subpoena, put witnesses under oath, ask questions, and accept evidence. People anywhere in the United States can be ordered to appear at a hearing location. If someone refuses, the Secretary can ask certain courts to force compliance, and those courts can issue orders that, if ignored, may be treated as contempt. Witnesses get the same fees and travel pay as in U.S. courts. Refusing to obey a lawful subpoena or order is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The United States district courts, the District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, the highest court of American Samoa, and the United States courts of other territories and possessions handle cases under this chapter.
Full Legal Text
Title 7, §87f
Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Subpena power
For the purposes of this chapter, the Secretary shall at all reasonable times have access to, for the purpose of examination, and the right to copy any documentary evidence of any person with respect to whom such authority is exercised; and the Secretary shall have power to require by subpena the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of all such documentary evidence relating to any matter under investigation by the Secretary, and may administer oaths and affirmations, examine witnesses, and receive evidence.
(b)Disobedience of subpena
Such attendance of witnesses, and the production of such documentary evidence, may be required from any place in the United States, at any designated place of hearing. In case of disobedience to a subpena the Secretary may invoke the aid of any court designated in subsection (h) of this section in requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of documentary evidence.
(c)Court order requiring attendance and testimony of witnesses
Any such court within the jurisdiction of which such inquiry is carried on may, in case of contumacy or refusal to obey a subpena issued to any person, issue an order requiring such person to appear before the Secretary or to produce documentary evidence if so ordered, or to give evidence touching the matter in question; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof.
(d)Fees and mileage costs of witnesses
Witnesses summoned before the Secretary shall be paid the same fees and mileage that are paid witnesses in the courts of the United States, and witnesses from whom depositions are taken and the persons taking the same shall severally be entitled to the same fees as are paid for like services in the courts of the United States.
(e)Violation of subpena as misdemeanor (f) Repealed. Pub. L. 91–452, title II, § 203, Oct. 15, 1970, 84 Stat. 928
Any person who shall neglect or refuse to attend and testify, or to answer any lawful inquiry, or to produce documentary evidence, if in the power of the person to do so, in obedience to the subpena or lawful requirement of the Secretary, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof be subject to imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $10,000 or both the imprisonment and fine.
(g)Repealed. Pub. L. 94–582, § 19(d), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2886
(h)District court jurisdiction
The United States district courts, the District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, the highest court of American Samoa, and the United States courts of the other territories and possessions of the United States shall have jurisdiction in cases arising under this chapter.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Subsecs. (a) to (e). Pub. L. 103–354 substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing. 1993—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 103–156, § 12(o), which directed amendment of “section 17(e)” by substituting “the power of the person” for “his power”, without specifying the name of the Act being amended, was executed to this section, which is section 17 of the United States Grain Standards Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 103–156, § 10, substituted “imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $10,000 or both the imprisonment and fine” for “the penalties set forth in subsection (a) of section 87c of this title”. 1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–582, § 19(a), (b), substituted “Administrator” for “Secretary” in two places and inserted “by the Administrator” after “under investigation”, respectively. Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 94–582, § 19(a), substituted “Administrator” for “Secretary” in subsecs. (b) to (d). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 94–582, § 19(a), (c), substituted “Administrator” for “Secretary” and inserted “subsection (a) of” before “section 87c of this title”. Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 94–582, § 19(d), struck out subsec. (g) which made unlawful disclosure of information by an officer or employee of the Department of Agriculture a misdemeanor, subject to the penalties set forth in section 87c of this title. 1970—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 91–452 struck out subsec. (f) which related to the immunity from prosecution of any individual compelled to testify or produce evidence, documentary or otherwise, after having claimed his privilege against self-incrimination.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1976 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 94–582 effective 30 days after Oct. 21, 1976, see section 27 of Pub. L. 94–582, as amended, set out as a note under section 74 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentFor
Effective Date
of amendment by Pub. L. 91–452, and amendment not to affect any immunity to which any individual is entitled under this section by reason of any testimony given before sixtieth day following Oct. 15, 1970, see section 260 of Pub. L. 91–452, set out as an
Savings Provision
note under section 6001 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.
Effective Date
For
Effective Date
of section, see section 2 of Pub. L. 90–487, set out as an
Effective Date
of 1968 Amendment note under section 78 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 87f
Title 7, Agriculture
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110