§87k — Title 7 Agriculture | U.S. Code

Summary

The Secretary must create uniform tools and rules for commercial grain inspections. The Secretary may work with NIST, the National Conference on Weights and Measures, or other technical groups to pick which inspection instruments need standardizing, set performance standards, make a national approval program for those instruments, and make reference materials for calibration and testing. The Secretary must also make practical, low-cost inspection procedures for quality factors that cause premiums or discounts and share them with country elevators and first-delivery inspectors. The Secretary must offer official inspection services through Federal, State, and official agencies, give guidance on sampling and equipment use, explain grain standards and appeals, and set uniform testing equipment standards, testing steps, and sampling methods.

Title 7, §87k

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To promote greater uniformity in commercial grain inspection results, the Secretary may work in conjunction with the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the National Conference on Weights and Measures, or other appropriate governmental, scientific, or technical organizations to—

(1)identify inspection instruments requiring standardization under subsection (b);

(2)establish performance criteria for commercial grain inspection instruments;

(3)develop a national program to approve grain inspection instruments for commercial inspection; and

(4)develop standard reference materials or other means necessary for calibration or testing of approved instruments.

(b)To ensure that producers are treated uniformly in delivering grain, the Secretary shall develop practical and cost-effective procedures for conducting commercial inspections of grain with respect to the application of quality factors, that result in premiums and discounts. The procedures shall be made available to country elevators and others making first-point-of-delivery inspections.

(c)To encourage the use of equipment and procedures developed in accordance with subsections (a) and (b), the Secretary shall provide for official inspection services by the Secretary, States, and official inspection agencies and provide information on the proper use of sampling and inspection equipment, application of the grain standards, and availability of official inspection services, including appeals under this chapter.

(d)The Secretary shall—

(1)establish uniform standards for testing equipment; and

(2)establish uniform testing procedures and sampling techniques;

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c), was in the original “this Act” and was translated as reading “this part”, meaning part B of act Aug. 11, 1916, known as the United States Grain Standards Act, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–354 substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing and “Secretary” for “Service” in subsec. (c). 1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–156, § 11, substituted “, the National Conference on Weights and Measures, or other appropriate governmental, scientific, or technical organizations” for “and the National Conference on Weights and Measures” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–156, § 13(b)(2), substituted “subsections (a) and (b)” for “subsection (a) and (b)”.

§87k Standardizing Commercial Inspections