,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cgb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #ad1 #bjag ,mr4 ,portman 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 and ,ms4 ,hassan7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,tariff ,act of #aicj to ensure that merchandise arriving through the mail shall be subject to review by ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection and to require the provision of advance electronic information on shipments of mail to ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,synthetics ,trafficking and ,overdose ,prevention ,act of #bjag or the ,,stop ,act of #bjag4 #b4 ,formal entry requirements--postal service as consignee ,subparagraph 7,b7 of section #dhd7;a77#b7 of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #adhd7;a77#b77;,b77 is amended to read as follows3 7,b7 7i7 ,when an entry of merchandise is made under this section1 the required documentation or information shall be filed or electronically transmitted-- 7,i7 by the owner or purchaser of the merchandise2 or 7,,ii7 when appropriately designated by the owner1 purchaser1 or consignee of the merchandise1 by a person holding a valid license under section #fda4 7ii7 ,the ,postmaster ,general shall be deemed the consignee for merchandise1 as defined by section #dih7;c71 imported through the mail1 and the ,postmaster ,general shall1 at the ,postmaster ,general's sole expense1 designate a person holding a valid license under section #fda to file the required documentation or information or ensure that the owner or purchaser of the merchandise or a person holding a valid license under section #fda that is designated by the owner or purchaser files the required documentation or information4 7iii7 ,when a consignee declares on entry that he or she is the owner or purchaser of merchandise1 ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection may1 without liability1 accept the declaration4 7iv7 ,for the purposes of this ,act1 the importer of record must be one of the parties who is eligible to file the documentation or information required by this section4 4 #c4 ,informal entries ,section #dih of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #adih7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7c7 ,application to postal shipments 7#a7 ,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7 ,document ,the term document means a piece of written1 drawn1 printed1 or digital information1 excluding objects of merchandise1 that-- 7i7 is conveyed in an envelope that is less than or equal to #afe millimeters in width1 #bde millimeters in length1 and #e millimeters in depth2 and 7ii7 weighs #ajj grams or less when conveyed4 7,b7 ,merchandise ,the term merchandise has the same meaning as that term is defined in section #dja but does not include a document4 7#b7 ,requirement ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 for merchandise meeting the requirements of subsection 7a71 the ,postmaster ,general shall comply with the entry requirements of section #dhd4 7#c7 ,regulations ,any regulation issued pursuant to this subsection shall apply identical entry procedures for merchandise imported through the mail as are applied for merchandise imported via a private carrier4 4 #d4 ,de minimis shipments ,section #cba of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #acba7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7c7 7#a7 ,for imported articles that qualify for the administrative exemption under subsection 7a77#b7 and that arrive at international mail facilities in the ,united ,states1 the ,postmaster ,general shall be deemed the consignee for such articles that are considered merchandise1 as the term is defined in section #dih7;c74 7#b7 ,in addition to the parties that are authorized to comply with the entry requirements of sections #dih and #dhd1 the ,postmaster ,general1 as a consignee1 may1 using reasonable care1 enter such merchandise that qualifies for the administrative exemption under subsection 7a77#b74 4 #e4 ,customs fees 7a7 ,in general ,paragraph 7#f7 of section #acjca7;a7 of the ,consolidated ,omnibus ,budget ,reconciliation ,act of #aihe 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #eh;c7a77#f77 is amended to read as follows3 7#f7 7,a7 ,for the arrival of shipments of merchandise 7as the term is defined in section #dih7;c7 of the ,trade ,act of #aicj7 or any other item that is valued at #b1jjj or less 7or such higher amount as the ,secretary of the ,treasury may set by regulation pursuant to section #dih of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #adih7 and subject to adjustment under subsection 7l77 arriving at an international mail facility3 7i7 #a per individual airway bill or bill of lading 7subject to adjustment under subsection 7l772 or 7ii7 if such merchandise is formally entered1 the fee provided for in paragraph 7#i71 if applicable4 7,b7 ,notwithstanding section #dea of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #adea71 the payment required by subparagraph 7,a7 shall be the only payment required for reimbursement of ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection in connection with the processing of an individual airway bill or bill of lading in accordance with such subparagraph and for providing services at international mail facilities1 except that ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection may require such facilities to cover expenses of the agency for adequate office space1 equipment1 furnishings1 supplies1 and security4 7,c7 ,the payment required by subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b7 shall be paid on a quarterly basis by the ,postmaster ,general in accordance with regulations prescribed by the ,secretary of the ,treasury4 ,the payments shall be allocated as follows3 7i7 #ej percent of the amount of payments received in this paragraph shall1 in accordance with section #ebd of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #aebd71 be deposited in the ,customs ,user ,fee ,account and shall be used to directly reimburse each appropriation for the amount paid out of that appropriation for the costs incurred in providing services to international mail facilities4 ,amounts deposited in accordance with the preceding sentence shall be available until expended for the provision of customs services to international mail facilities4 7ii7 ,notwithstanding section #ebd of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #aebd71 #ej percent of the amount of payments received under this paragraph shall be paid to the ,secretary of the ,treasury1 which is in lieu of the payment of fees under paragraph 7#aj74 4 7b7 ,technical amendments ,paragraph 7#aj7 of section #acjca7;a7 of the ,consolidated ,omnibus ,budget ,reconciliation ,act of #aihe 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #eh;c7a77#aj77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking or in subparagraph 7,b72 7#b7 by striking the period at the end of subparagraph 7,c77iii7 and inserting a comma and or2 7#c7 by inserting after subparagraph 7,c77iii7 the following3 7,d7 an international mail facility4 2 and 7#d7 in the undesignated material at the end by striking the period and inserting or referred to in subparagraph 7,d7 see paragraph 7#f744 #f4 ,mandatory advanced electronic information for postal shipments ,subparagraph 7,k7 of section #cdc7;a77#c7 of the ,trade ,act of #bjjb 7,public ,law #ajg-baj2 #ai ,u4,s4,c4 #bjga note7 is amended to read as follows3 7,k7 ,the ,secretary shall require the ,postmaster ,general to transmit or to ensure the transmission of the information required in paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 to ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection for all shipments by the ,united ,states ,postal ,service which includes shipments that the ,united ,states ,postal ,service receives from foreign postal operators 7shipments from foreign postal operators may be transported by private carriers74 ,all regulations issued pursuant to this provision are required to impose the same information requirements on the ,united ,states ,postal ,service and private carriers4 4 #g4 ,manifest penalties applied to the ,united ,states ,postal ,service 7a7 ,penalties for violations of the arrival1 reporting1 entry1 and clearance requirements ,section #dcf of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #adcf7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7e7 ,civil penalties arising from violations for postal shipments ,with respect to civil penalties provided for in subsections 7b7 and 7d7 above1 the ,postmaster ,general shall be liable for the penalty if the violation was caused by a foreign postal operator or the ,united ,states ,postal ,service4 4 7b7 ,penalties for falsity or lack of manifest ,section #ehd of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #aehd7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7c7 ,person directly or indirectly responsible shall include the ,postmaster ,general ,for purposes of subsection 7a71 the ,postmaster ,general may be the person directly or indirectly responsible for a discrepancy if the discrepancy is the result of-- 7#a7 an omission by a foreign postal operator or the ,united ,states ,postal ,service2 or 7#b7 false information regarding the shipment that was provided to the carrier by a foreign postal operator or the ,united ,states ,postal ,service4 4 #h4 ,limitation on international postal arrangements 7a7 ,existing agreements 7#a7 ,in general ,in the event that any provision in this ,act is found to be in violation of obligations of the ,united ,states under the ,universal ,postal ,union1 the ,secretary of ,state shall negotiate to amend the relevant provisions of the agreement so that the ,united ,states is no longer in violation of the agreement4 7#b7 ,construction ,nothing in this subsection may be construed to require or permit any delay in the implementation of this ,act4 7b7 ,future agreements ,the ,secretary of ,state may not conclude any international postal arrangement pursuant to the authority set out in section #djg of title #ci1 ,united ,states ,code1 that is inconsistent with this ,act or any amendment made by this ,act4 #i4 ,application of other customs laws 7a7 ,in general ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border ,protection shall ensure that all merchandise1 as that term is defined in subsection 7c7 of section #dih of the ,tariff ,act of #aicj 7#ai ,u4,s4,c4 #adih71 imported to the ,united ,states through the mail shall be subject to the same import procedures1 legal restrictions1 and certifications as merchandise imported by private carriers4 7b7 ,regulations ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury shall issue regulations pursuant to this ,act to ensure that merchandise imported through the mail is in accordance with ,federal law4 #aj4 ,cost recoupment ,the ,postmaster ,general shall ensure that all costs associated with complying with this ,act1 as well as all penalties assessed against the ,postmaster ,general1 are charged directly to foreign shippers1 foreign postal operators1 or ,united ,states ultimate consignees4 #aa4 ,effective date2 regulations 7a7 ,effective date ,this ,act shall become effective upon the date of the enactment of this ,act4 7b7 ,regulations ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary shall prescribe all regulations required under this ,act4