[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1322 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1322
To establish educational seminars at United States ports of entry to
improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to
classify and appraise articles that are imported into the United States
in accordance with the customs laws of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 21, 2013
Mr. Lipinski (for himself, Mr. Jones, and Mr. McGovern) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish educational seminars at United States ports of entry to
improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to
classify and appraise articles that are imported into the United States
in accordance with the customs laws of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Customs Training Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS TO IMPROVE ABILITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND
BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL TO CLASSIFY AND APPRAISE
IMPORTED ARTICLES.
(a) Educational Seminars.--
(1) In general.--The Commissioner shall establish and carry
out educational seminars at United States ports of entry to
improve the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
personnel to classify and appraise articles imported into the
United States in accordance with the customs laws of the United
States, including to improve the ability of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection personnel to identify and prevent the
mislabeling and transshipment of articles.
(2) Number and exception.--The Commissioner shall establish
and carry out not less than 15 educational seminars each year
under paragraph (1). The Commissioner may establish and carry
out fewer than 15 seminars each year under paragraph (1) if the
Commissioner determines and notifies Congress that it is
appropriate to do so.
(b) Content.--
(1) In general.--The Commissioner and interested parties
selected under subsection (d) should provide instruction and
related instructional materials at each educational seminar to
U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and, as
appropriate, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel
on the following:
(A) Conducting a physical inspection of an article
imported into the United States, including testing of
samples of the article, to determine if the article is
mislabeled in the manifest or other accompanying
documentation.
(B) Reviewing the manifest and other accompanying
documentation of an article imported into the United
States to determine if--
(i) the country of origin of the article
listed in the manifest or other accompanying
documentation is accurate; and
(ii) the industry supply chain represented
in the manifest or other accompanying
documentation is accurate.
(C) Other related matters as determined to be
appropriate by the Commissioner.
(2) Approval of commissioner.--The instruction and related
instructional materials at each educational seminar shall be
subject to the approval of the Commissioner.
(c) Costs and Expenses.--The Commissioner shall pay the costs to
establish and carry out each educational seminar and shall pay expenses
for U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel, U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement personnel, and interested parties to provide
instruction in or receive training at the seminar.
(d) Selection Process.--
(1) In general.--The Commissioner shall establish a process
to solicit, evaluate, and select interested parties for
purposes of assisting in providing instruction in the
educational seminars under this section.
(2) Criteria.--The Commissioner shall, in consultation with
the United States International Trade Commission, evaluate and
select interested parties under the process established under
paragraph (1) based on--
(A) availability and usefulness;
(B) the volume, value, and incidence of mislabeling
of an imported article that relates to a comparable
domestic product of the interested party; and
(C) other appropriate criteria established by the
Commissioner.
(3) Public availability.--The Commissioner shall publish in
the Federal Register a detailed description of the process
established under paragraph (1) and the criteria established
under paragraph (2).
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commissioner.--The term ``Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border
Protection.
(2) Comparable domestic product.--The term ``comparable
domestic product'' means a product which is comparable in
characteristics and uses with an article imported into the
United States and which is covered by an educational seminar
under this Act.
(3) Customs laws of the united states.--The term ``customs
laws of the United States'' means any law or regulation
enforced or administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
(4) Interested party.--The term ``interested party''
means--
(A) a manufacturer, producer, or wholesaler in the
United States of a comparable domestic product;
(B) a certified union or recognized union or group
of workers which is representative of an industry
engaged in the manufacture, production, or wholesale in
the United States of a comparable domestic product;
(C) a trade or business association a majority of
whose members manufacture, produce, or wholesale a
comparable domestic product in the United States; or
(D) an association, a majority of whose members is
composed of interested parties described in
subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) with respect to a
comparable domestic product.
(5) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the
customs territory of the United States, as defined in General
Note 2 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
(6) U.S. customs and border protection personnel.--The term
``U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel'' means Import
Specialists and other appropriate employees of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2013 through 2017.
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