--- kind: "section" citation: "7 U.S.C. § 7702" title: "7" title_heading: "Agriculture" number: "7702" heading: "Definitions" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/7702" units: - "Chapter 104 — Plant Protection" --- # §7702. Definitions In [this chapter](#19): - (1) **Article—** The term “article” means any material or tangible object that could harbor [plant pests](#14) or [noxious weeds](#10). - (2) **Biological control organism—** The term “biological control organism” means any enemy, antagonist, or competitor used to control a [plant pest](#14) or [noxious weed](#10). - (3) **Enter and entry—** The terms “enter” and “entry” mean to [move](#9) into, or the act of [movement](#9) into, the commerce of the [United States](#20). - (4) **Export and exportation—** The terms “export” and “exportation” mean to [move](#9) from, or the act of [movement](#9) from, the [United States](#20) to any place outside the [United States](#20). - (5) **Import and importation—** The terms “import” and “importation” mean to [move](#9) into, or the act of [movement](#9) into, the territorial limits of the [United States](#20). - (6) **Interstate—** The term “interstate” means— - (A) from one [State](#17) into or through any other [State](#17); or - (B) within the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the [United States](#20), or any other territory or possession of the [United States](#20). - (7) **Interstate commerce—** The term “interstate commerce” means trade, traffic, or other commerce— - (A) between a place in a [State](#17) and a point in another [State](#17), or between points within the same [State](#17) but through any place outside that [State](#17); or - (B) within the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the [United States](#20), or any other territory or possession of the [United States](#20). - (8) **Means of conveyance—** The term “means of conveyance” means any personal property used for or intended for use for the [movement](#9) of any other personal property. - (9) **Move and related terms—** The terms “move”, “moving”, and “movement” mean— - (A) to carry, [enter](#3), [import](#5), mail, ship, or transport; - (B) to aid, abet, cause, or induce the carrying, entering, importing, mailing, shipping, or transporting; - (C) to offer to carry, [enter](#3), [import](#5), mail, ship, or transport; - (D) to receive to carry, [enter](#3), [import](#5), mail, ship, or transport; - (E) to release into the environment; or - (F) to allow any of the activities described in a preceding subparagraph. - (10) **Noxious weed—** The term “noxious weed” means any [plant](#13) or [plant product](#15) that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or [plant products](#15)), livestock, poultry, or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the [United States](#20), the public health, or the environment. - (11) **Permit—** The term “permit” means a written or oral authorization, including by electronic methods, by the [Secretary](#16) to [move](#9) [plants](#13), [plant products](#15), [biological control organisms](#2), [plant pests](#14), [noxious weeds](#10), or [articles](#1) under conditions prescribed by the [Secretary](#16). - (12) **Person—** The term “person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, association, joint venture, or other legal entity. - (13) **Plant—** The term “plant” means any plant (including any plant part) for or capable of propagation, including a tree, a tissue culture, a plantlet culture, pollen, a shrub, a vine, a cutting, a graft, a scion, a bud, a bulb, a root, and a seed. - (14) **Plant pest—** The term “plant pest” means any living stage of any of the following that can directly or indirectly injure, cause damage to, or cause disease in any [plant](#13) or [plant product](#15): - (A) A protozoan. - (B) A nonhuman animal. - (C) A parasitic [plant](#13). - (D) A bacterium. - (E) A fungus. - (F) A virus or viroid. - (G) An infectious agent or other pathogen. - (H) Any [article](#1) similar to or allied with any of the [articles](#1) specified in the preceding subparagraphs. - (15) **Plant product—** The term “plant product” means— - (A) any flower, fruit, vegetable, root, bulb, seed, or other [plant](#13) part that is not included in the definition of [plant](#13); or - (B) any manufactured or processed [plant](#13) or [plant](#13) part. - (16) **Secretary—** The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Agriculture. - (17) **State—** The term “State” means any of the several States of the [United States](#20), the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the [United States](#20), or any other territory or possession of the [United States](#20). - (18) **Systems approach—** For the purposes of [section 7712(e) of this title](/usc/7/7712.md?p=e), the term “systems approach” means a defined set of phytosanitary procedures, at least two of which have an independent effect in mitigating pest risk associated with the [movement](#9) of commodities. - (19) **This chapter—** Except when used in this section, the term “this chapter” includes any regulation or order issued by the [Secretary](#16) under the authority of this chapter. - (20) **United States—** The term “United States” means all of the [States](#17). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 106–224, title IV, § 403, June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 438.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this title”, meaning title IV of Pub. L. 106–224, June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 438, known as the Plant Protection Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title IV to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 7701 of this title and Tables.