[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1772 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1772

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


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 21, 2003

 Mr. Graham of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Durbin) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
                            on the Judiciary

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 11 of the United States Code to establish a priority for 
the payment of claims for duties paid to the United States by licensed 
                customs brokers on behalf of the 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; 19 U.S.C. 
        1641) for duties, taxes, or other charges paid to the Customs 
        Service of the United States 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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