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TITLE 7 > CHAPTER 51 > § 2021
§ 2021. Civil money penalties and disqualification of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns
(a)
Disqualification or civil penalty
Any approved retail food store or wholesale food concern may be disqualified for a specified period of time from further participation in the food stamp program, or subjected to a civil money penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation if the Secretary determines that its disqualification would cause hardship to food stamp households, on a finding, made as specified in the regulations, that such store or concern has violated any of the provisions of this chapter or the regulations issued pursuant to this chapter. Regulations issued pursuant to this chapter shall provide criteria for the finding of a violation and the suspension or disqualification of a retail food store or wholesale food concern on the basis of evidence that may include facts established through on-site investigations, inconsistent redemption data, or evidence obtained through a transaction report under an electronic benefit transfer system.
(b)
Period of disqualification
Disqualification under subsection (a) of this section shall be—
(1)
for a reasonable period of time, of no less than six months nor more than five years, upon the first occasion of disqualification;
(2)
for a reasonable period of time, of no less than twelve months nor more than ten years, upon the second occasion of disqualification;
(3)
permanent upon—
(B)
the first occasion or any subsequent occasion of a disqualification based on the purchase of coupons or trafficking in coupons or authorization cards by a retail food store or wholesale food concern, except that the Secretary shall have the discretion to impose a civil money penalty of up to $20,000 for each violation (except that the amount of civil money penalties imposed for violations occurring during a single investigation may not exceed $40,000) in lieu of disqualification under this subparagraph, for such purchase of coupons or trafficking in coupons or cards that constitutes a violation of the provisions of this chapter or the regulations issued pursuant to this chapter, if the Secretary determines that there is substantial evidence that such store or food concern had an effective policy and program in effect to prevent violations of the chapter and the regulations, including evidence that—
(i)
the ownership of the store or food concern was not aware of, did not approve of, did not benefit from, and was not involved in the conduct of the violation; and
(C)
a finding of the sale of firearms, ammunition, explosives, or controlled substance (as defined in section
802 of title
21) for coupons, except that the Secretary shall have the discretion to impose a civil money penalty of up to $20,000 for each violation (except that the amount of civil money penalties imposed for violations occurring during a single investigation may not exceed $40,000) in lieu of disqualification under this subparagraph if the Secretary determines that there is substantial evidence (including evidence that neither the ownership nor management of the store or food concern was aware of, approved, benefited from, or was involved in the conduct or approval of the violation) that the store or food concern had an effective policy and program in effect to prevent violations of this chapter; and
(4)
for a reasonable period of time to be determined by the Secretary, including permanent disqualification, on the knowing submission of an application for the approval or reauthorization to accept and redeem coupons that contains false information about a substantive matter that was a part of the application.
(c)
Review
The action of disqualification or the imposition of a civil money penalty shall be subject to review as provided in section
2023 of this title.
(d)
Bonds
As a condition of authorization to accept and redeem coupons, the Secretary may require a retail food store or wholesale food concern which has been disqualified or subjected to a civil penalty pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to furnish a bond to cover the value of coupons which such store or concern may in the future accept and redeem in violation of this chapter. The Secretary shall, by regulation, prescribe the amount, terms, and conditions of such bond. If the Secretary finds that such store or concern has accepted and redeemed coupons in violation of this chapter after furnishing such bond, such store or concern shall forfeit to the Secretary an amount of such bond which is equal to the value of coupons accepted and redeemed by such store or concern in violation of this chapter. Such store or concern may obtain a hearing on such forfeiture pursuant to section
2023 of this title.
(e)
Transfer of ownership; penalty in lieu of disqualification period; fines for acceptance of loose coupons; judicial action to recover penalty or fine
(1)
In the event any retail food store or wholesale food concern that has been disqualified under subsection (a) of this section is sold or the ownership thereof is otherwise transferred to a purchaser or transferee, the person or persons who sell or otherwise transfer ownership of the retail food store or wholesale food concern shall be subjected to a civil money penalty in an amount established by the Secretary through regulations to reflect that portion of the disqualification period that has not yet expired. If the retail food store or wholesale food concern has been disqualified permanently, the civil money penalty shall be double the penalty for a ten-year disqualification period, as calculated under regulations issued by the Secretary. The disqualification period imposed under subsection (b) of this section shall continue in effect as to the person or persons who sell or otherwise transfer ownership of the retail food store or wholesale food concern notwithstanding the imposition of a civil money penalty under this subsection.
(2)
At any time after a civil money penalty imposed under paragraph (1) has become final under the provisions of section
2023
(a) of this title, the Secretary may request the Attorney General to institute a civil action against the person or persons subject to the penalty in a district court of the United States for any district in which such person or persons are found, reside, or transact business to collect the penalty and such court shall have jurisdiction to hear and decide such action. In such action, the validity and amount of such penalty shall not be subject to review.
(3)
The Secretary may impose a fine against any retail food store or wholesale food concern that accepts food coupons that are not accompanied by the corresponding book cover, other than the denomination of coupons used for making change as specified in regulations issued under this chapter. The amount of any such fine shall be established by the Secretary and may be assessed and collected in accordance with regulations issued under this chapter separately or in combination with any fiscal claim established by the Secretary. The Attorney General of the United States may institute judicial action in any court of competent jurisdiction against the store or concern to collect the fine.
(f)
Fines for unauthorized third parties that accept food stamps
The Secretary may impose a fine against any person not approved by the Secretary to accept and redeem food coupons who violates any provision of this chapter or a regulation issued under this chapter, including violations concerning the acceptance of food coupons. The amount of any such fine shall be established by the Secretary and may be assessed and collected in accordance with regulations issued under this chapter separately or in combination with any fiscal claim established by the Secretary. The Attorney General of the United States may institute judicial action in any court of competent jurisdiction against the person to collect the fine.
(g)
Disqualification of retailers who are disqualified under WIC program
(1)
In general
The Secretary shall issue regulations providing criteria for the disqualification under this chapter of an approved retail food store or a wholesale food concern that is disqualified from accepting benefits under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under section
1786 of title
42.
(2)
Terms
A disqualification under paragraph (1)—
(A)
shall be for the same length of time as the disqualification from the program referred to in paragraph (1);
(B)
may begin at a later date than the disqualification from the program referred to in paragraph (1); and
(C)
notwithstanding section
2023 of this title, shall not be subject to judicial or administrative review.
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