---
kind: "section"
citation: "7 U.S.C. § 7712"
title: "7"
title_heading: "Agriculture"
number: "7712"
heading: "Regulation of movement of plants, plant products, biological control organisms, noxious weeds, articles, and means of conveyance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/7/7712"
units:
  - "Chapter 104 — Plant Protection"
  - "Subchapter I — Plant Protection"
---

# §7712. Regulation of movement of plants, plant products, biological control organisms, noxious weeds, articles, and means of conveyance

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) may prohibit or restrict the [importation](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5), [entry](/usc/7/7702.md?p=3), [exportation](/usc/7/7702.md?p=4), or [movement](/usc/7/7702.md?p=9) in [interstate commerce](/usc/7/7702.md?p=7) of any [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13), [plant product](/usc/7/7702.md?p=15), [biological control organism](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2), [noxious weed](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10), [article](/usc/7/7702.md?p=1), or [means of conveyance](/usc/7/7702.md?p=8), if the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) determines that the prohibition or restriction is necessary to prevent the introduction into the [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20) or the dissemination of a [plant pest](/usc/7/7702.md?p=14) or [noxious weed](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10) within the [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20).
- (b) **Policy—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall ensure that processes used in developing regulations under this section governing consideration of [import](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5) requests are based on sound science and are transparent and accessible.
- (c) **Regulations—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) may issue regulations to implement [subsection (a)](#a), including regulations requiring that any [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13), [plant product](/usc/7/7702.md?p=15), [biological control organism](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2), [noxious weed](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10), [article](/usc/7/7702.md?p=1), or [means of conveyance](/usc/7/7702.md?p=8) imported, entered, to be exported, or moved in [interstate commerce](/usc/7/7702.md?p=7)—
  - (1) be accompanied by a [permit](/usc/7/7702.md?p=11) issued by the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) prior to the [importation](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5), [entry](/usc/7/7702.md?p=3), [exportation](/usc/7/7702.md?p=4), or [movement](/usc/7/7702.md?p=9) in [interstate commerce](/usc/7/7702.md?p=7);
  - (2) be accompanied by a certificate of inspection issued (in a manner and form required by the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16)) by appropriate officials of the country or [State](/usc/7/7702.md?p=17) from which the [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13), [plant product](/usc/7/7702.md?p=15), [biological control organism](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2), [noxious weed](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10), [article](/usc/7/7702.md?p=1), or [means of conveyance](/usc/7/7702.md?p=8) is to be moved;
  - (3) be subject to remedial measures the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) determines to be necessary to prevent the spread of [plant pests](/usc/7/7702.md?p=14) or [noxious weeds](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10); and
  - (4) with respect to [plants](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13) or [biological control organisms](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2), be grown or handled under post-[entry](/usc/7/7702.md?p=3) quarantine conditions by or under the supervision of the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) for the purposes of determining whether the [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13) or [biological control organism](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2) may be infested with [plant pests](/usc/7/7702.md?p=14) or may be a [plant pest](/usc/7/7702.md?p=14) or [noxious weed](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10).
- (d) **Notice—** Not later than 1 year after June 20, 2000, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall publish for public comment a notice describing the procedures and standards that govern the consideration of [import](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5) requests. The notice shall—
  - (1) specify how public input will be sought in advance of and during the process of promulgating regulations necessitating a risk assessment in order to ensure a fully transparent and publicly accessible process; and
  - (2) include consideration of the following:
    - (A) Public announcement of [import](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5) requests that will necessitate a risk assessment.
    - (B) A process for assigning major/nonroutine or minor/routine status to such requests based on current [state](/usc/7/7702.md?p=17) of supporting scientific information.
    - (C) A process for assigning priority to requests.
    - (D) Guidelines for seeking relevant scientific and economic information in advance of initiating informal rulemaking.
    - (E) Guidelines for ensuring availability and transparency of assumptions and uncertainties in the risk assessment process including applicable risk mitigation measures relied upon individually or as components of a system of mitigative measures proposed consistent with the purposes of [this chapter](/usc/7/7702.md?p=19).
- (e) **Study and report on systems approach—**
  - (1) **Study—** The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall conduct a study of the role for and application of [systems approaches](/usc/7/7702.md?p=18) designed to guard against the introduction of [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13) pathogens into the [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20) associated with proposals to [import](/usc/7/7702.md?p=5) [plants](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13) or [plant products](/usc/7/7702.md?p=15) into the [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20).
  - (2) **Participation by scientists—** In conducting the study the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall ensure participation by scientists from State departments of agriculture, colleges and universities, the private sector, and the Agricultural Research Service.
  - (3) **Report—** Not later than 2 years after June 20, 2000, the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall submit a report on the results of the study conducted under this section to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.
- (f) **Noxious weeds—**
  - (1) **Regulations—** In the case of [noxious weeds](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10), the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) may publish, by regulation, a list of [noxious weeds](/usc/7/7702.md?p=10) that are prohibited or restricted from entering the [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20) or that are subject to restrictions on [interstate](/usc/7/7702.md?p=6) [movement](/usc/7/7702.md?p=9) within the [United States](/usc/7/7702.md?p=20).
  - (2) **Petition to add or remove plants from regulation—** Any [person](/usc/7/7702.md?p=12) may petition the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) to add a [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13) species to, or remove a [plant](/usc/7/7702.md?p=13) species from, the regulations issued by the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) under this subsection.
  - (3) **Duties of the Secretary—** In the case of a petition submitted under [paragraph (2)](#f-2), the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall act on the petition within a reasonable time and notify the petitioner of the final action the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) takes on the petition. The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16)’s determination on the petition shall be based on sound science.
- (g) **Biological control organisms—**
  - (1) **Regulations—** In the case of [biological control organisms](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2), the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) may publish, by regulation, a list of organisms whose [movement](/usc/7/7702.md?p=9) in [interstate commerce](/usc/7/7702.md?p=7) is not prohibited or restricted. Any listing may take into account distinctions between organisms such as indigenous, nonindigenous, newly introduced, or commercially raised.
  - (2) **Petition to add or remove biological control organisms from the regulations—** Any [person](/usc/7/7702.md?p=12) may petition the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) to add a [biological control organism](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2) to, or remove a [biological control organism](/usc/7/7702.md?p=2) from, the regulations issued by the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) under this subsection.
  - (3) **Duties of the Secretary—** In the case of a petition submitted under [paragraph (2)](#g-2), the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) shall act on the petition within a reasonable time and notify the petitioner of the final action the [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16) takes on the petition. The [Secretary](/usc/7/7702.md?p=16)’s determination on the petition shall be based on sound science.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 106–224, title IV, § 412, June 20, 2000, 114 Stat. 441.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (d)(2)(E), 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.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Transfer of Functions

For transfer of functions of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to agricultural import and entry inspection activities under this chapter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 231, 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.