[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 313 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 313

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

                            January 8, 2009

 Mr. Cuellar 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 
2009''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.

    Section 507(a) of title 11, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) Eleventh, 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 Bureau of Customs and Border Protection 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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