,i  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bbci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ah1 #bjbe,mr4
 ,yakym 7for himself and ,mr4 ,costa7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,natural 
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the    
,lacey ,act ,amendments of #aiha to     
ensure fair enforcement of such ,act4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,strengthen ,wood ,product      
,supply ,chains ,act of #bjbe4  #b4     
,fair enforcement of ,lacey ,act        
,amendments of #aiha ,section #f of the 
,lacey ,act ,amendments of #aiha 7#af   
,u4,s4,c4 #ccge7 is amended--  7#a7 by  
redesignating subsections 7c7 and 7d7 as
 subsections 7d7 and 7e71 respectively2 
and  7#b7 by inserting after subsection 
7b7 the following3  7c7 ,merchandise    
detained for inspection  7#a7 ,in       
general ,if a person authorized under   
subsection 7a7 to enforce this ,act     
detains merchandise under this section1 
the ,secretary shall1 not later than #e 

days after the date on which such       
detention is initiated-- 7,a7 issue to  
the importer of such detained           
merchandise a notice of detention2 or   
7,b7 release to such importer the       
detained merchandise4  7#b7 ,notice of  
detention ,a notice of detention        
described in paragraph 7#a77;,a7 shall  
include the following3  7,a7 ,a         
statement of the initiation of the      
detention1 including the date on which  
the detained merchandise was detained   
for inspection4  7,b7 ,a specific reason
 for the detention4  7,c7 ,the          
anticipated length of the detention4    
7,d7 ,a description of the tests or     
inquiries the ,secretary will conduct   
with regard to the detained merchandise4
  7,e7 ,a description of information1 if
 any1 that1 if supplied to the          
,secretary1 may accelerate the          
disposition of the detention4  7#c7     
,transportation of detained merchandise 
to other location ,not later than #aj   
days after the date on which the        

,secretary issues a notice of detention 
under paragraph 7#a7 for detained       
merchandise1 the ,secretary shall allow 
the importer of such detained           
merchandise to transport such detained  
merchandise to a location that is not   
under the control of the ,united ,states
 if--  7,a7 the importer-- 7i7 requests 
the transfer2  7ii7 pays all demurrage  
and storage fees associated with the    
detained merchandise2 and  7iii7        
provides a bond for removal from the    
custody of the ,united ,states2 and     
7,b7 the ,secretary determines that such
 transportation will not frustrate the  
intent of this ,act4  7#d7 ,replication 
of tests ,if the ,secretary conducts    
tests on detained merchandise1 the      
,secretary shall provide the importer of
 such detained merchandise with--  7,a7 
the results of such tests2 and  7,b7    
information sufficient for the importer 
to replicate such tests4  7#e7 ,release 
or seizure  7,a7 ,in general ,not later 
than #cj days after the date on which   

merchandise is detained for inspection  
under this section1 the ,secretary      
shall-- 7i7 release such detained       
merchandise to the importer of such     
detained merchandise2 or  7ii7 seize    
such detained merchandise and issue a   
notification to the importer of such    
detained merchandise that such detained 
merchandise has been seized4  7,b7      
,failure to release or seize ,if the    
,secretary fails to release or seize    
detained merchandise under subparagraph 
7,a7 within the time period described in
 that subparagraph1 such failure shall  
be deemed a seizure under subparagraph  
7,a77ii74  7#f7 ,administrative review  
7,a7 ,in general ,an importer of        
detained merchandise may submit to the  
,secretary a request for administrative 
review of a seizure or deemed seizure of
 such detained merchandise under        
subparagraph 7,a77ii7 or 7,b7 of        
paragraph 7#e71 respectively4  7,b7     
,disposition of request ,not later than 
#cj days after the date on which a      

request for administrative review is    
submitted by an importer under          
subparagraph 7,a71 the ,secretary       
shall--  7i7 release to such importer   
the detained merchandise that is the    
subject of such request2 or  7ii7 affirm
 the seizure or deemed seizure under    
subparagraph 7,a77ii7 or 7,b7 of        
paragraph 7#e71 respectively1 that is   
the subject of such request4  7,c7      
,eligibility to file claim ,if the      
,secretary1 pursuant to a request for   
administrative review submitted by an   
importer of detained merchandise under  
subparagraph 7,a7-- 7i7 affirms the     
seizure or deemed seizure of such       
detained merchandise under subparagraph 
7,b77ii72 or  7ii7 fails to release or  
affirm the seizure or deemed seizure of 
such detained merchandise under clause  
7i7 or 7ii7 of subparagraph 7,b71       
respectively1 within the time period    
described in subparagraph 7,b72  the    
importer that submitted such request may
 file a claim for relief in the         

appropriate district court of the       
,united ,states4  7#g7 ,court           
proceedings ,in a claim filed under     
paragraph 7#f77;,c77ii71 the court shall
 grant appropriate relief to the        
importer of detained merchandise that   
filed such claim1 which may include an  
order to release such detained          
merchandise to such importer1 unless the
 ,secretary establishes by a            
preponderance of the evidence that an   
admissibility decision with respect to  
such detained merchandise has not been  
reached for good cause4  7#h7           
,definitions ,in this subsection3 7,a7  
,detained merchandise ,the term detained
 merchandise means merchandise that is  
detained for inspection under this      
section4  7,b7 ,merchandise ,the term   
merchandise means any fish or wildlife  
or plant imported for sale4  4