Federal · Title 7 — Agriculture

7 U.S.C. § 7807: Enforcement

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

District courts enforce violations of this chapter through civil actions. The Secretary may issue civil penalties ($1,000–$10,000 per violation), cease-and-desist orders, or warnings, with opportunity for administrative hearing and judicial appeal.

Read the full statutory text
A district court of the United States shall have jurisdiction to enforce, and to prevent and restrain any person from violating, this chapter or an order or regulation issued by the Secretary under this chapter. A civil action brought under subsection (a) shall be referred to the Attorney General for appropriate action, except that the Secretary is not required to refer to the Attorney General a violation of this chapter, or an order or regulation issued under this chapter, if the Secretary believes that the administration and enforcement of this chapter would be adequately served by administrative action under subsection (c) or suitable written notice or warning to the person who committed or is committing the violation. a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $10,000 for each violation; and in the case of a willful failure to remit an assessment as required by an order or regulation, an additional penalty equal to the amount of the assessment. Each violation shall be a separate offense. In addition to or in lieu of a civil penalty under paragraph (1), the Secretary may issue an order requiring a person to cease and desist from continuing a violation of this chapter, or an order or regulation issued under this chapter. No penalty shall be assessed, or cease and desist order issued, by the Secretary under this subsection unless the Secretary gives the person against whom the penalty is assessed or the order is issued notice and opportunity for a hearing before the Secretary with respect to the violation. Any such hearing shall be conducted in accordance with section 7808(b)(2) of this title and shall be held within the United States judicial district in which the residence or principal place of business of the person is located. The penalty assessed or cease and desist order issued under this subsection shall be final and conclusive unless the person against whom the penalty is assessed or the order is issued files an appeal with the appropriate district court of the United States in accordance with subsection (d). filing a notice of appeal in the district court of the United States for the district in which the person resides or conducts business, or in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia; and sending a copy of the notice by certified mail to the Secretary. The Secretary shall promptly file in the court a certified copy of the record on which the Secretary found that the person had committed a violation. A finding of the Secretary shall be set aside under this subsection only if the finding is found to be unsupported by substantial evidence. A person who fails to obey a cease and desist order issued under subsection (c) after the order has become final and unappealable, or after the appropriate United States district court had entered a final judgment in favor of the Secretary of not more than $10,000 for each offense, after opportunity for a hearing and for judicial review under the procedures specified in subsections (c) and (d). Each day during which the person fails to obey an order described in paragraph (1) shall be considered as a separate violation of the order. If a person fails to pay a civil penalty assessed under subsection (c) or (e) after the penalty has become final and unappealable, or after the appropriate United States district court has entered final judgment in favor of the Secretary, the Secretary shall refer the matter to the Attorney General for recovery of the amount assessed in any United States district court in which the person resides or conducts business. In an action by the Attorney General under paragraph (1), the validity and appropriateness of a civil penalty shall not be subject to review. The remedies provided in this chapter shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of, other remedies that may be available.

Verify at the official source: Federal legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.