I 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION OF 

4 PLASTINATED HUMAN REMAINS. 

5 (a) AMENDMENT.—Part I of title III of the Tariff 

6 Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1304 et seq.) is amended by in7 serting after section 308 the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 308A. PROHIBITION ON IMPORTATION OF 

9 PLASTINATED HUMAN REMAINS. 

10 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 ‘‘(1) CUSTOMS LAWS.—The term ‘customs laws 

2 of the United States’ means any other law or regula3 tion enforced or administered by U.S. Customs and 

4 Border Protection of the Department of Homeland 

5 Security. 

6 ‘‘(2) PERSON.—The term ‘person’ includes any 

7 individual, partnership, corporation, association, or8 ganization, business trust, government entity, or 

9 other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United 

10 States. 

11 ‘‘(3) PLASTINATED HUMAN REMAINS.—The 

12 term ‘plastinated human remains’ means human re13 mains, including tissues, organs, and other body 

14 parts, that are preserved from decay by replacing 

15 the water and fats in the human remains with a 

16 polymer. 

17 ‘‘(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 

18 the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

19 ‘‘(5) UNITED STATES.—The term ‘United 

20 States’ means the customs territory of the United 

21 States, as defined in general note 2 of the Har22 monized Tariff Schedule of the United States. 

23 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION.—It shall be unlawful for any per24 son to import into the United States any plastinated 

25 human remains. 


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1 ‘‘(c) PENALTIES.— 

2 ‘‘(1) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Any person who vio3 lates any provision of this section or any regulation 

4 issued under this section may, in addition to any 

5 other civil or criminal penalty that may be imposed 

6 under title 18, United States Code, or any other 

7 provision of law, be assessed a civil penalty by the 

8 designated authority of not more than— 

9 ‘‘(A) $10,000 for each separate knowing 

10 and intentional violation; 

11 ‘‘(B) $5,000 for each separate grossly neg12 ligent violation; or 

13 ‘‘(C) $3,000 for each separate negligent 

14 violation. 

15 ‘‘(2) FORFEITURE.—Any plastinated human re16 mains imported contrary to the provisions of this 

17 section or any regulation issued under this section 

18 shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. 

19 ‘‘(d) ENFORCEMENT.—The Secretary shall enforce 

20 the provisions of this section with respect to the prohibi21 tion under subsection (b). 

22 ‘‘(e) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 270 days after 

23 the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 

24 shall, after notice and opportunity for comment, issue reg25 ulations to carry out the provisions of this section. 


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1 ‘‘(f) COORDINATION WITH OTHER LAWS.—Nothing 

2 in this section shall be construed as superseding or lim3 iting in any manner the functions and responsibilities of 

4 the Secretary under the customs laws of the United 

5 States.’’. 

6 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 308A of the Tariff 

7 Act of 1930, as added by subsection (a), applies with re8 spect to the importation of plastinated human remains on 

9 or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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