19 U.S.C. § 1623 | Bonds and other security

(a)

Requirement of bond by regulation

In any case in which bond or other security is not specifically required by law, the Secretary of the Treasury may by regulation or specific instruction require, or authorize customs officers to require, such bonds or other security as he, or they, may deem necessary for the protection of the revenue or to assure compliance with any provision of law, regulation, or instruction which the Secretary of the Treasury or the Customs Service may be authorized to enforce.

(b)

Conditions and form of bond

Whenever a bond is required or authorized by a law, regulation, or instruction which the Secretary of the Treasury or the Customs Service is authorized to enforce, the Secretary of the Treasury may—

(1)

Provided Except as otherwise specifically provided by law, prescribe the conditions and form of such bond and the manner in which the bond may be filed with or, pursuant to an authorized electronic data interchange system, transmitted to the Customs Service, and fix the amount of penalty thereof, whether for the payment of liquidated damages or of a penal sum: , That when a consolidated bond authorized by paragraph 4 of this subsection is taken, the Secretary of the Treasury may fix the penalty of such bond without regard to any other provision of law, regulation, or instruction.

(2)

Provide for the approval of the sureties on such bond, without regard to any general provision of law.

(3)

Authorize the execution of a term bond the conditions of which shall extend to and cover similar cases of importations over such period of time, not to exceed one year, or such longer period as he may fix when in his opinion special circumstances existing in a particular instance require such longer period.

(4)

Authorize, to the extent that he may deem necessary, the taking of a consolidated bond (single entry or term), in lieu of separate bonds to assure compliance with two or more provisions of law, regulations, or instructions which the Secretary of the Treasury or the Customs Service is authorized to enforce. A consolidated bond taken pursuant to the authority contained in this subsection shall have the same force and effect in respect of every provision of law, regulation, or instruction for the purposes for which it is required as though separate bonds had been taken to assure compliance with each such provision.

(c)

Cancellation of bond

The Secretary of the Treasury may authorize the cancellation of any bond provided for in this section, or of any charge that may have been made against such bond, in the event of a breach of any condition of the bond, upon the payment of such lesser amount or penalty or upon such other terms and conditions as he may deem sufficient. In order to assure uniform, reasonable, and equitable decisions, the Secretary of the Treasury shall publish guidelines establishing standards for setting the terms and conditions for cancellation of bonds or charges thereunder.

(d)

Validity of bond

No condition in any bond taken to assure compliance with any law, regulation, or instruction which the Secretary of the Treasury or the Customs Service is authorized to enforce shall be held invalid on the ground that such condition is not specified in the law, regulation, or instruction authorizing or requiring the taking of such bond. Any bond transmitted to the Customs Service pursuant to an authorized electronic data interchange system shall have the same force and effect and be binding upon the parties thereto as if such bond were manually executed, signed, and filed.

(e)

Deposit of money or obligation of United States in lieu of bond

The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to permit the deposit of money or obligations of the United States, in such amount and upon such conditions as he may by regulation prescribe, in lieu of sureties on any bond required or authorized by a law, regulation, or instruction which the Secretary of the Treasury or the Customs Service is authorized to enforce.

June 17, 1930, ch. 497 46 Stat. 759 June 25, 1938, ch. 679, § 30 52 Stat. 1089 Pub. L. 91–271, title III, § 301(ii)June 2, 197084 Stat. 291Aug. 23, 1988102 Stat. 1313 Pub. L. 103–182, title VI, § 647Dec. 8, 1993107 Stat. 2207(, title IV, § 623, ; , ; , , ; Pub. L. 100—418, title I, § 1904, , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–182, § 647(1)1993—Subsec. (b)(1). , inserted “and the manner in which the bond may be filed with or, pursuant to an authorized electronic data interchange system, transmitted to the Customs Service” after “form of such bond”.

Pub. L. 103–182, § 647(2)Subsec. (d). , inserted at end “Any bond transmitted to the Customs Service pursuant to an authorized electronic data interchange system shall have the same force and effect and be binding upon the parties thereto as if such bond were manually executed, signed, and filed.”

Pub. L. 100–4181988—Subsec. (c). provided for publication of guidelines establishing customs bond cancellation standards.

Pub. L. 91–2711970—Subsec. (a). substituted reference to customs officers for reference to collectors of customs.

June 25, 19381938—Act , amended section generally, among other changes adding subsecs. (c) to (e).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Pub. L. 91–271 section 203 of Pub. L. 91–271 section 1500 of this titleFor effective date of amendment by , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1938 Amendment

June 25, 1938June 25, 1938June 25, 1938section 1401 of this titleAmendment by act , effective on thirtieth day following , except as otherwise specifically provided, see section 37 of act , set out as a note under .

Transfer of Functions

November 25, 2002section 542 of Title 6 Pub. L. 107–296Nov. 25, 2002section 211 of Title 6 Pub. L. 114–125 section 802(b) of Pub. L. 114–125 section 211 of Title 6For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury, including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto, to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 203(1), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of , as modified, set out as a note under . For establishment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, treated as if included in as of , see , as amended generally by , and , set out as a note under .

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

July 31, 195064 Stat. 1280Functions of officers of Department of the Treasury and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department transferred, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions, by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. , 15 F.R. 4935, , 1281, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Customs Service was under Department of the Treasury.