I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5524 

To amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to prohibit the importation into the United 

States of plastinated human remains from the People’s Republic of China. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 15, 2010 

Mr. AKIN 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 

from the People’s Republic of China. 

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 FROM THE 

5 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. 

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

7 Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1304 et seq.) is amended by in8 serting after section 308 the following: 


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

2 PLASTINATED HUMAN REMAINS FROM THE 

3 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. 

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

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

6 of the United States’ means any other law or regula7 tion enforced or administered by U.S. Customs and 

8 Border Protection of the Department of Homeland 

9 Security. 

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

11 individual, partnership, corporation, association, or12 ganization, business trust, government entity, or 

13 other entity subject to the jurisdiction of the United 

14 States. 

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

16 term ‘plastinated human remains’ means human re17 mains, including tissues, organs, and other body 

18 parts, that are preserved from decay by replacing 

19 the water and fats in the human remains with a 

20 polymer. 

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

22 the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

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

24 States’ means the customs territory of the United 

25 States, as defined in general note 2 of the Har26 monized Tariff Schedule of the United States. 


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1 ‘‘(b) PROHIBITION.—It shall be unlawful for any per2 son to import into the United States any plastinated 

3 human remains from the People’s Republic of China. 

4 ‘‘(c) PENALTIES.— 

5 ‘‘(1) CIVIL PENALTIES.—Any person who vio6 lates any provision of this section or any regulation 

7 issued under this section may, in addition to any 

8 other civil or criminal penalty that may be imposed 

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

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

11 designated authority of not more than— 

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

13 and intentional violation; 

14 ‘‘(B) $5,000 for each separate grossly neg15 ligent violation; or 

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

17 violation. 

18 ‘‘(2) FORFEITURE.—Any plastinated human re19 mains imported contrary to the provisions of this 

20 section or any regulation issued under this section 

21 shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. 

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

23 the provisions of this section with respect to the prohibi24 tion under subsection (b). 


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

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

3 shall, after notice and opportunity for comment, issue reg4 ulations to carry out the provisions of this section. 

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

6 in this section shall be construed as superseding or lim7 iting in any manner the functions and responsibilities of 

8 the Secretary under the customs laws of the United 

9 States.’’. 

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

11 Act of 1930, as added by subsection (a), applies with re12 spect to the importation of plastinated human remains 

13 from the People’s Republic of China on or after the date 

14 of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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