---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 138f"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "138f"
heading: "Fees"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/138f"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — National Laboratory Accreditation"
---

# §138f. Fees

- (a) **In general—** At the time that an application for accreditation is received by the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) and annually thereafter, a [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) seeking accreditation by the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) under the authority of this chapter, the Federal Meat Inspection Act ([21 U.S.C. 601](/usc/21/601.md) et seq.), or the Poultry Products Inspection Act ([21 U.S.C. 451](/usc/21/451.md) et seq.) shall pay to the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) a nonrefundable accreditation fee. All fees collected by the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) shall be credited to the account from which the expenses of the [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) accreditation program are paid and, subject to [subsection (e)](#e), shall be available immediately and remain available until expended to pay the expenses of the [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) accreditation program.
- (b) **Amount of fee—** The fee required under this section shall be established by the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) in an amount that will offset the cost of the [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) accreditation programs administered by the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) under the statutory authorities set forth in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (c) **Reimbursement of expenses—** Each [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) that is accredited under a statutory authority set forth in [subsection (a)](#a) or that has applied for accreditation under such authority shall reimburse the [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) for reasonable travel and other expenses necessary to perform onsite inspections of the [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3).
- (d) **Adjustment of fees—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/138.md?p=5) may, on an annual basis, adjust the fees imposed under this section as necessary to support the full costs of the [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) accreditation programs carried out under the statutory authorities set forth in [subsection (a)](#a).
- (e) **Appropriations prerequisite—** No fees collected under this section may be used to offset the cost of [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) accreditation without appropriations made under [subsection (f)](#f).
- (f) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated each fiscal year such sums as may be necessary for [laboratory](/usc/7/138.md?p=3) accreditation services under this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–624, title XIII, § 1327, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3565; Pub. L. 102–237, title X, § 1017, Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1904.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Federal Meat Inspection Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is titles I to V of act Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, as added Pub. L. 90–201, Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 584, and Pub. L. 110–246, title XI, § 11015(a), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 2124, which are classified generally to subchapters I to IV–A (§ 601 et seq.) of chapter 12 of Title 21, Food and Drugs. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 601 of Title 21 and Tables.

The Poultry Products Inspection Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 85–172, Aug. 28, 1957, 71 Stat. 441, which is classified generally to chapter 10 (§ 451 et seq.) of Title 21. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 451 of Title 21 and Tables.

### Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–237 amended section generally, in subsec. (a), inserting provisions relating to Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act and provisions relating to crediting and availability of fees, in subsec. (b), substituting provisions relating to fee under this section for provisions relating to fee under subsec. (a) of this section, and provisions relating to laboratory accreditation programs administered by Secretary under statutory authorities set forth in subsec. (a) of this section for provisions relating to program established under this chapter, in subsec. (c), substituting provisions relating to statutory authority set forth in subsec. (a) of this section for provisions relating to this chapter, in subsec. (d), substituting provisions relating to laboratory accreditation programs under statutory authority set forth in subsec. (a) of this section for provisions relating to program established under this chapter, and adding subsecs. (e) and (f).