Opinion ID: 476814
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: the regulatory ban

Text: 2 The Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act, which has undergone multiple amendments since its original passage in 1930, 4 is crafted meticulously to suppress unfair practices in the industry. 5 The section applicable here enables the Secretary of Agriculture to bar from employment therein, for varying periods of time, not only those who are direct violators of the Act but also those who are or have been responsibly connected with such violators. 6 3 The Act defines responsibly connected as affiliated or connected with a commission merchant, dealer, or broker as (A) partner in a partnership, or (B) officer, director, or a holder of more than 10 per centum of the outstanding stock of a corporation or association. 7 As this court has noted,  '[t]he Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act is admittedly and intentionally a tough law.'  8 By the terms of the Act, once a person is found to be a bona fide partner, officer, director, or ten-percent or larger shareholder of a sanctioned company, he is completely foreclosed from employment in the industry for at least one year, 9 whether or not he participated personally in the violation. 10