---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 4909"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "4909"
heading: "Petition and review"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/4909"
units:
  - "Chapter 80 — Watermelon Research and Promotion"
---

# §4909. Petition and review

- (a) Any [person](/usc/7/4902.md?p=2) subject to a plan may file a written petition with the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1), stating that the plan or any provision of the plan, or any obligation imposed in connection therewith, is not in accordance with law and praying for a modification thereof or to be exempted therefrom. The [person](/usc/7/4902.md?p=2) shall be given an opportunity for a hearing on the petition, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1). After the hearing, the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1) shall make a ruling on the petition, which shall be final if in accordance with the law.
- (b) The district courts of the [United States](/usc/7/4902.md?p=10) in any district in which the [person](/usc/7/4902.md?p=2) is an inhabitant, or in which the [person](/usc/7/4902.md?p=2)’s principal place of business is located, are hereby vested with jurisdiction to review such ruling, provided that a complaint for that purpose is filed within twenty days from the date of the entry of the ruling. Service of process in such proceedings may be had on the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1) by delivering to the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1) a copy of the complaint. If the court determines that the ruling is not in accordance with law, it shall remand the proceedings to the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1) with directions either to (1) make such ruling as the court shall determine to be in accordance with law, or (2) take such further proceedings as, in its opinion, the law requires. The pendency of proceedings instituted under [subsection (a)](#a) shall not impede or delay the [United States](/usc/7/4902.md?p=10) or the [Secretary](/usc/7/4902.md?p=1) from obtaining relief under [section 4910(a)](/usc/7/4910.md?p=a)[^1] of this title.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 99–198, title XVI, § 1650, Dec. 23, 1985, 99 Stat. 1627.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 4910(a) of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “section 1851(a)”, a nonexistent section in Pub. L. 99–198, and has been translated as if the reference had been to “section 1651(a)” to reflect the probable intent of Congress.