[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1891 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1891

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 19, 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, 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 (19 U.S.C. 
        1641)) and sureties (as provided in section 623 of the Tariff 
        Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1623)) 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 
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 enactment of this Act.
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