[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5677 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5677

 To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit the importation into the 
              United States of plastinated human remains.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 2, 2008

  Mr. Akin (for himself and Mr. Wolf) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit the importation into the 
              United States of plastinated human remains.

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

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION OF PLASTINATED HUMAN REMAINS.

    (a) Amendment.--Part I of title III of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 
U.S.C. 1304 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 308 the 
following:

``SEC. 308A. PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION OF PLASTINATED HUMAN REMAINS.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Customs laws.--The term `customs laws of the United 
        States' means any other law or regulation enforced or 
        administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection of the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            ``(2) Person.--The term `person' includes any individual, 
        partnership, corporation, association, organization, business 
        trust, government entity, or other entity subject to the 
        jurisdiction of the United States.
            ``(3) Plastinated human remains.--The term `plastinated 
        human remains' means human remains, including tissues, organs, 
        and other body parts, that are preserved from decay by 
        replacing the water and fats in the human remains with a 
        polymer.
            ``(4) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Homeland Security.
            ``(5) United states.--The term `United States' means the 
        customs territory of the United States, as defined in general 
        note 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
    ``(b) Prohibition.--It shall be unlawful for any person to import 
into the United States any plastinated human remains.
    ``(c) Penalties.--
            ``(1) Civil penalties.--Any person who violates any 
        provision of this section or any regulation issued under this 
        section may, in addition to any other civil or criminal penalty 
        that may be imposed under title 18, United States Code, or any 
        other provision of law, be assessed a civil penalty by the 
        designated authority of not more than--
                    ``(A) $10,000 for each separate knowing and 
                intentional violation;
                    ``(B) $5,000 for each separate grossly negligent 
                violation; or
                    ``(C) $3,000 for each separate negligent violation.
            ``(2) Forfeiture.--Any plastinated human remains imported 
        contrary to the provisions of this section or any regulation 
        issued under this section shall be subject to forfeiture to the 
        United States.
    ``(d) Enforcement.--The Secretary shall enforce the provisions of 
this section with respect to the prohibition under subsection (b).
    ``(e) Regulations.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall, after notice and 
opportunity for comment, issue regulations to carry out the provisions 
of this section.
    ``(f) Coordination With Other Laws.--Nothing in this section shall 
be construed as superseding or limiting in any manner the functions and 
responsibilities of the Secretary under the customs laws of the United 
States.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Section 308A of the Tariff Act of 1930, as 
added by subsection (a), applies with respect to the importation of 
plastinated human remains on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
                                 <all>