,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cgba  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #a1  
#bjbd,mr4 ,ricketts 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,wicker1 and ,mrs4 ,britt7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to prescribe requirements with 
respect to plants detained by the       
,secretary of the ,interior on suspicion
 of a violation of the ,lacey ,act      
,amendments of #aiha1 and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,strengthen ,wood   
,products ,supply ,chain ,act of #bjbd4 
#b4 ,definitions  ,in this ,act3 7#a7   
,importer ,the term importer means any  
person that seeks to import 7as defined 
in section #b of the ,lacey ,act 7#af   
,u4,s4,c4 #ccga77 plants4  7#b7 ,lacey  
,act ,the term ,lacey ,act means the    
,lacey ,act ,amendments of #aiha 7#af   
,u4,s4,c4 #ccga et seq474  7#c7 ,plant  
,the term plant has the meaning given   

the term in section #b of the ,lacey    
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #ccga74  7#d7       
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of the ,interior1 acting 
through the ,director of the ,united    
,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service4   
#c4 ,detention of plants under the      
,lacey ,act  7a7 ,in general            
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 not later than #e days 7excluding  
weekends and ,federal holidays7 after   
the date on which plants are presented  
by the ,u4,s4 ,customs and ,border      
,protection to the ,secretary for       
physical examination on suspicion of a  
violation of the ,lacey ,act1 the       
,secretary shall-- 7#a7 release the     
plants2 or  7#b7 issue to the importer a
 notice of detention in accordance with 
subsection 7b74  7b7 ,notice of         
detention ,a notice of detention issued 
by the ,secretary under subsection      
7a77#b7 shall include-- 7#a7 the        
specific reasons for which the detention
 of the applicable plants was initiated1

 including the date on which the plants 
were presented to the ,secretary for    
examination2  7#b7 the anticipated      
length of detention2  7#c7 the nature of
 the tests or inquiries to be conducted 
on the applicable plants2  7#d7 the     
nature of any information that1 if      
supplied to the ,secretary1 would       
accelerate the disposition of the       
detention2 and  7#e7 a notice to inform 
the importer that the importer may apply
 to the ,secretary and the ,u4,s4       
,customs and ,border ,protection to     
transport the plants under bond to be   
examined at a location other than a     
location under the control of the       
,secretary4  7c7 ,administrative and    
physical inspections ,if the ,secretary 
conducts any tests of plants presented  
for physical examination under          
subsection 7a7 for appraisement1        
classification1 or other official       
purposes1 the ,secretary shall provide  
to the importer-- 7#a7 the results of   
that testing2  7#b7 sufficient          

information about the testing conducted 
so that the importer has the ability to 
replicate the test2 and  7#c7 any       
applicable accompanying documentation   
relating to that testing4  7d7          
,transport of plants ,not later than #aj
 days after the date on which a notice  
of detention is issued to an importer by
 the ,secretary under subsection        
7a77#b71 the ,secretary shall allow the 
applicable plants to be transported     
outside the custody of the ,u4,s4       
,customs and ,border ,protection for    
purposes of storage if-- 7#a7 the       
importer requests the transfer2  7#b7   
the importer-- 7,a7 pays any required   
demurrage and storage fees with respect 
to those plants2  7,b7 provides a bond  
for removal of the plants from          
facilities of the ,u4,s4 ,customs and   
,border ,protection2 and  7,c7 complies 
with sections #aea4g through #aea4aa of 
title #ai1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations 7or successor regulations72
 and  7#c7 the intent of the ,lacey ,act

 would not be frustrated by moving the  
plants outside the control of the ,u4,s4
 ,customs and ,border ,protection1 as   
determined by the ,secretary4  7e7      
,final determinations  7#a7 ,in general 
,not later than #cj days after the date 
on which plants are presented to the    
,secretary for examination under        
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
make a final determination with respect 
to the admissibility of the detained    
plants4  7#b7 ,failure to make final    
determination ,if the ,secretary fails  
to make a final determination with      
respect to detained plants in accordance
 with the timeline described in         
paragraph 7#a71 the failure shall be    
treated as a decision by the ,secretary 
to exclude the plants from entry or     
delivery1 or a demand for redelivery to 
the custody of the ,u4,s4 ,customs and  
,border ,protection1 under the customs  
laws4  7#c7 ,protests  7,a7 ,in general 
,an importer may submit to the          
,secretary a protest of the decision of 

the ,secretary to exclude a plant       
pursuant to this subsection4  7,b7      
,decision by ,secretary ,not later than 
#cj days after the date on which an     
importer submits a protest under        
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary       
shall-- 7i7 allow the protest and       
release to the importer each plant      
subject to the protest2 or  7ii7 deny   
the protest4  7,c7 ,court action ,in    
accordance with part #ab of subchapter  
,b of chapter ,i of title #ej1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations 7or successor     
regulations71 an importer may petition a
 court of competent jurisdiction to seek
 an order with respect to plants-- 7i7  
detained by the ,secretary2 or  7ii7    
excluded by the ,secretary pursuant to  
this subsection4  7f7 ,regulations ,not 
later than #ahj days after the date of  
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
shall promulgate regulations to carry   
out this section4