[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3003 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3003

To amend title 11, United States Code, to establish a priority for the 
  payment of claims for duties paid to the United States by licensed 
          customs brokers and sureties on behalf of a debtor.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 4, 2003

Mr. Brown of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Spratt, and 
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was 
               referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 11, United States Code, to establish a priority for the 
  payment of claims for duties paid to the United States by licensed 
          customs brokers and sureties on behalf of a debtor.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Customs Business Fairness Act of 
2003''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.

    Section 507(a) of title 11, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(10) Tenth, allowed unsecured claims of customs brokers 
        (as defined in section 641 of the Tariff Act of 1930) and 
        sureties (as provided in section 623 of the Tariff Act of 1930) 
        for duties, taxes, or other charges paid to the United States 
        Customs Service on behalf of the debtor arising out of the 
        importation of merchandise entered for consumption within one 
        year before the date of the filing of the petition.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICATION OF AMENDMENT.

    (a) Effective Date.--Except as provided in subsection (b), this Act 
and the amendment made by this Act shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    (b) Application of Amendment.--The amendment made by this Act shall 
apply only with respect to cases commenced under title 11, United 
States Code, on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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