Accreditation program — Us Code Code § 6514
Us Code Code § 6514 — Accreditation program. Reproduced from the official United States Code, with a citation summary, verification link, and related provisions.
§ 6514. Accreditation program
(a) In general
The Secretary shall establish and implement a program to accredit a governing State official, and any private person, that meets the requirements of this section as a certifying agent for the purpose of certifying a farm or handling operation as a certified organic farm or handling operation.
(b) Requirements
To be accredited as a certifying agent under this section, a governing State official or private person shall—
(1) prepare and submit, to the Secretary, an application for such accreditation;
(2) have sufficient expertise in organic farming and handling techniques as determined by the Secretary; and
(3) comply with the requirements of this section and section 6515 of this title.
(c) Additional documentation and verification
The Secretary, acting through the Deputy Administrator of the national organic program established under this chapter, has the authority, and shall grant a certifying agent the authority, to require producers and handlers to provide additional documentation or verification before granting a certification under section 6503 of this title, in the case of a compliance risk with respect to meeting the national standards for organic production established under section 6504 of this title, as determined by the Secretary or the certifying agent.
(d) Accreditation of foreign organic certification program
(1) In general
For an agricultural product being imported into the United States to be represented as organically produced, the Secretary shall require the agricultural product to be accompanied by a complete and valid national organic import certificate, which shall be available as an electronic record.
(2) Tracking system
(A) In general
The Secretary shall establish a system to track national organic import certificates.
(B) Integration
In establishing the system under subparagraph (A), the Secretary may integrate the system into any existing information tracking systems for imports of agricultural products.
(e) Duration of accreditation
An accreditation made under this section—
(1) subject to paragraph (2), shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, as determined appropriate by the Secretary;
(2) in the case of a certifying agent operating in a foreign country, shall be for a period of time that is consistent with the certification of a domestic certifying agent, as determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
(3) may be renewed.
(Pub. L. 101–624, title XXI, §2115, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3944; Pub. L. 115–334, title X, §10104(c), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4900.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2018—Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 115–334 added subsecs. (c) to (e) and struck out former subsec. (c). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (c) read as follows: "An accreditation made under this section shall be for a period of not to exceed 5 years, as determined appropriate by the Secretary, and may be renewed."
About This Section
7 U.S.C. § 6514 is part of Title 7 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 7 U.S.C. § 6514. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.