--- kind: "section" citation: "7 U.S.C. § 6307" title: "7" title_heading: "Agriculture" number: "6307" heading: "Enforcement" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/6307" units: - "Chapter 92 — Soybean Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information" --- # §6307. Enforcement - (a) **Jurisdiction—** The district courts of the [United States](/usc/7/6302.md?p=19) are vested with jurisdiction specifically to enforce, and to prevent and restrain any [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) from violating, any [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) or regulation made or issued under this chapter. - (b) **Referral to Attorney General—** A civil action authorized to be commenced under this section shall be referred to the Attorney General for appropriate action, except that the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) shall not be required to refer to the Attorney General a violation of this chapter, if the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) believes that the administration and enforcement of this chapter would be adequately served by providing a suitable written notice or warning to the [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) who committed such violation or by administrative action under [section 6306 of this title](/usc/7/6306.md). - (c) **Civil penalties and orders—** - (1) **Civil penalties—** Any [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) who willfully violates any provision of any [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) or regulation issued by the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) under this chapter, or who fails or refuses to pay, collect, or remit any assessment or fee duly required of the [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) under the [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) or regulations, may be assessed— - (A) a civil penalty by the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) of not more than $1,000 for each such violation; and - (B) in the case of a willful failure to pay, collect, or remit an assessment as required by the [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) or regulation, an additional penalty equal to the amount of such assessment. Each violation shall be a separate offense. - (2) **Cease-and-desist orders—** In addition to, or in lieu of, a civil penalty under [paragraph (1)](#c-1), the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) may issue an [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) requiring a [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) to cease and desist from continuing any such violation. - (3) **Notice and hearing—** No penalty shall be assessed or cease-and-desist [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) issued by the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) under this subsection unless the [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) against whom the penalty is assessed or the [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) is issued is given notice and opportunity for a hearing before the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) with respect to such violation. - (4) **Finality—** The [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) of the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) assessing a penalty or imposing a cease-and-desist [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) under this subsection shall be final and conclusive unless the affected [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) files an appeal of the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16)’s [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) with the appropriate district court of the [United States](/usc/7/6302.md?p=19) in accordance with [subsection (d)](#d). - (d) **Review by district court—** - (1) **Commencement of action—** Any [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) who has been determined to be in violation of this chapter, or against whom a civil penalty has been assessed or a cease-and-desist [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) issued under [subsection (c)](#c), may obtain review of the penalty or [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) by— - (A) filing, within the 30-day period beginning on the date the penalty is assessed or [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) issued, a notice of appeal in— - (i) the district court of the [United States](/usc/7/6302.md?p=19) for the district in which the [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) resides or conducts business; or - (ii) the [United States](/usc/7/6302.md?p=19) District Court for the District of Columbia; and - (B) simultaneously sending a copy of the notice by certified mail to the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16). - (2) **Record—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) shall file promptly in the appropriate court referred to in [paragraph (1)](#d-1), a certified copy of the record on which the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) has determined that the [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) had committed a violation. - (3) **Standard of review—** A finding of the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) under this section shall be set aside only if such finding is found to be unsupported by substantial evidence. - (e) **Failure to obey orders—** Any [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) who fails to obey a cease-and-desist [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) issued under this section after such [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) has become final and unappealable, or after the appropriate [United States](/usc/7/6302.md?p=19) district court has entered a final judgment in favor of the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16), shall be subject to a civil penalty assessed by the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16), after opportunity for a hearing and for judicial review under the procedures specified in subsections [(c)](#c) and [(d)](#d), of not more than $5,000 for each offense. Each day during which such failure continues shall be considered as a separate violation of such [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10). - (f) **Failure to pay penalties—** If any [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) fails to pay an assessment of a civil penalty under this section after it has become a final and unappealable [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10), or after the appropriate [United States](/usc/7/6302.md?p=19) district court has entered final judgment in favor of the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16), the [Secretary](/usc/7/6302.md?p=16) shall refer the matter to the Attorney General for recovery of the amount assessed in the district court in which the [person](/usc/7/6302.md?p=11) resides or conducts business. In such action, the validity and appropriateness of the final [order](/usc/7/6302.md?p=10) imposing the civil penalty shall not be subject to review. - (g) **Additional remedies—** The remedies provided in this chapter shall be in addition to, and not exclusive of, other remedies that may be available. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 101–624, title XIX, § 1972, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3901.)