HR 6110 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

112th CONGRESSCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

2d SessionCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

H. R. 6110CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

July 12, 2012CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. LIPINSKI (for himself, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. MICHAUD, Ms. KAPTUR, and Mr. CONYERS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and MeansCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

A BILLCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Customs Training Enhancement Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS TO IMPROVE ABILITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION PERSONNEL TO CLASSIFY AND APPRAISE IMPORTED ARTICLES.

(a) Educational Seminars-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Content-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) Reviewing the manifest and other accompanying documentation of an article imported into the United States to determine if the country of origin of the article listed in the manifest or other accompanying documentation is accurate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) Other related matters as determined to be appropriate by the Commissioner.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) APPROVAL OF COMMISSIONER- The instruction and related instructional materials at each educational seminar shall be subject to the approval of the Commissioner.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Selection Process-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) availability and usefulness;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) the volume, value, and incidence of mislabeling of an imported article that relates to a comparable domestic product of the interested party; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) other appropriate criteria established by the Commissioner.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) COMMISSIONER- The term ‘Commissioner’ means the Commissioner responsible for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) INTERESTED PARTY- The term ‘interested party’ means--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) a manufacturer, producer, or wholesaler in the United States of a comparable domestic product;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(C) a trade or business association a majority of whose members manufacture, produce, or wholesale a comparable domestic product in the United States; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(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.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

(a) In General- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2012 through 2016.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Offset- Subparagraph (B) of section 6621(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ‘3 percentage points’ and inserting ‘4 percentage points’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink