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15 U.S.C. § 378Enforcement

submitted 77 years ago by Pub. L. 111-154 to r/title-15-COMMERCE-AND-TRADE · 875 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

Federal courts can stop violations of this chapter, and the Attorney General enforces it. States, local governments, tribes, and permitted tobacco businesses can also sue to stop violations. The government must post information about enforcement actions online and report to Congress every year for several years.

This section explains who can enforce this chapter and how. (a) In general. United States district courts have the power to prevent and stop violations of this chapter, and to grant other appropriate relief, including money damages. (b) Authority of the Attorney General. The Attorney General of the United States administers and enforces this chapter. (c) State, local, and tribal enforcement. (1)(A) A state, acting through its attorney general, or a local government or Indian tribe that levies a tax covered by section 376a(a)(3) of this title, acting through its chief law enforcement officer, can sue in federal district court to stop violations of this chapter by any person, or to get other appropriate relief — including civil penalties, money damages, and injunctions. (B) Nothing in this chapter waives or limits any sovereign immunity a state, local government, or tribe has against being sued without consent under this chapter, and nothing expands, restricts, or changes that immunity either. (2) A state, local government, or tribe (as described above) can give evidence of a violation by someone not subject to their own enforcement to the U.S. Attorney General or a U.S. attorney, who must then take appropriate steps to enforce the chapter. (3)(A) This section creates the "PACT Anti-Trafficking Fund" in the Treasury. Half of any criminal and civil penalties the federal government collects enforcing this chapter go into that fund, for the Attorney General to use enforcing this chapter and other laws about contraband tobacco. (B) At least half of what the Attorney General gets from that fund must go only to the Department of Justice offices that handled the enforcement actions or investigations that produced the penalties. (4)(A) The remedies in this section and section 377 of this title are on top of, not instead of, any other remedies available under federal, state, local, tribal, or other law. (B) Nothing here changes any right a state official has to sue in state court, or take other enforcement steps, based on a violation of state or other law. (C) The same protection applies to tribal officials suing in tribal court based on tribal law. (D) The same protection applies to local government officials suing in state court based on local or other law. (d) Persons dealing in tobacco products. Anyone holding a permit under section 5712 of title 26 (covering manufacturers, importers, and export warehouse operators for tobacco products) can sue in an appropriate federal district court to stop violations of this chapter by anyone other than a state, local, or tribal government. (e) Notice. (1) Anyone who sues under (d) must tell the U.S. Attorney General about the lawsuit. (2) Congress believes that a state attorney general, or a local or tribal chief law enforcement officer, who sues under this section should also tell the U.S. Attorney General. (f) Public notice. (1) The Attorney General must make information public — online and by other means — about every enforcement action the United States brings, or that is reported to the Attorney General, under this section. This includes how those actions were resolved and how the Attorney General responded to evidence referred under (c)(2). (2) No later than one year after March 31, 2010, and every year after that until five years after that date, the Attorney General must send Congress a report with that same information.
the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain
(a) In general

The United States district courts shall have jurisdiction to prevent and restrain violations of this chapter and to provide other appropriate injunctive or equitable relief, including money damages, for the violations.

(b) Authority of the Attorney General

The Attorney General of the United States shall administer and enforce this chapter.

(c) State, local, and tribal enforcement
(1) In general
(A) Standing

A State, through its attorney general, or a local government or Indian tribe that levies a tax subject to section 376a(a)(3) of this title, through its chief law enforcement officer, may bring an action in a United States district court to prevent and restrain violations of this chapter by any person or to obtain any other appropriate relief from any person for violations of this chapter, including civil penalties, money damages, and injunctive or other equitable relief.

(B) Sovereign immunity

Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to abrogate or constitute a waiver of any sovereign immunity of a State or local government or Indian tribe against any unconsented lawsuit under this chapter, or otherwise to restrict, expand, or modify any sovereign immunity of a State or local government or Indian tribe.

(2) Provision of information

A State, through its attorney general, or a local government or Indian tribe that levies a tax subject to section 376a(a)(3) of this title, through its chief law enforcement officer, may provide evidence of a violation of this chapter by any person not subject to State, local, or tribal government enforcement actions for violations of this chapter to the Attorney General of the United States or a United States attorney, who shall take appropriate actions to enforce this chapter.

(3) Use of penalties collected
(A) In general

There is established a separate account in the Treasury known as the “PACT Anti-Trafficking Fund”. Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subparagraph (B), an amount equal to 50 percent of any criminal and civil penalties collected by the Federal Government in enforcing this chapter shall be transferred into the PACT Anti-Trafficking Fund and shall be available to the Attorney General of the United States for purposes of enforcing this chapter and other laws relating to contraband tobacco products.

(B) Allocation of funds

Of the amount available to the Attorney General of the United States under subparagraph (A), not less than 50 percent shall be made available only to the agencies and offices within the Department of Justice that were responsible for the enforcement actions in which the penalties concerned were imposed or for any underlying investigations.

(4) Nonexclusivity of remedy
(A) In general

The remedies available under this section and section 377 of this title are in addition to any other remedies available under Federal, State, local, tribal, or other law.

(B) State court proceedings

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to expand, restrict, or otherwise modify any right of an authorized State official to proceed in State court, or take other enforcement actions, on the basis of an alleged violation of State or other law.

(C) Tribal court proceedings

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to expand, restrict, or otherwise modify any right of an authorized Indian tribal government official to proceed in tribal court, or take other enforcement actions, on the basis of an alleged violation of tribal law.

(D) Local government enforcement

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to expand, restrict, or otherwise modify any right of an authorized local government official to proceed in State court, or take other enforcement actions, on the basis of an alleged violation of local or other law.

(d) Persons dealing in tobacco products

Any person who holds a permit under section 5712 of title 26 (regarding permitting of manufacturers and importers of tobacco products and export warehouse proprietors) may bring an action in an appropriate United States district court to prevent and restrain violations of this chapter by any person other than a State, local, or tribal government.

(e) Notice
(1) Persons dealing in tobacco products

Any person who commences a civil action under subsection (d) shall inform the Attorney General of the United States of the action.

(2) State, local, and tribal actions

It is the sense of Congress that the attorney general of any State, or chief law enforcement officer of any locality or tribe, that commences a civil action under this section should inform the Attorney General of the United States of the action.

(f) Public notice
(1) In general

The Attorney General of the United States shall make available to the public, by posting information on the Internet and by other appropriate means, information regarding all enforcement actions brought by the United States, or reported to the Attorney General of the United States, under this section, including information regarding the resolution of the enforcement actions and how the Attorney General of the United States has responded to referrals of evidence of violations pursuant to subsection (c)(2).

(2) Reports to Congress

Not later than 1 year after March 31, 2010, and every year thereafter until the date that is 5 years after March 31, 2010, the Attorney General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report containing the information described in paragraph (1).

Source credit: (Oct. 19, 1949, ch. 699, § 4, as added Pub. L. 111–154, § 2(e), Mar. 31, 2010, 124 Stat. 1101.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit
  • 1949Enacted · Pub. L. 111-154 · 124 Stat. 1101

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 111-154 on 1949-10-19.

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