Federal Plant Pest Act of 1957

Long title	An Act to facilitate the regulation, control, and eradication of plant pests.
Enacted by	the 85th United States Congress
Effective	May 23, 1957
Citations
Public law	85-36
Statutes at Large	71 Stat. 31
Codification
Titles amended	7 U.S.C.: Agriculture
U.S.C. sections created	7 U.S.C. ch. 7B §§ 150aa-150jj
U.S.C. sections amended	7 U.S.C. ch. 7 § 147a
Legislative history
Introduced in the Senate as S. 1442 by Allen J. Ellender (D-LA) on March 26, 1957 Committee consideration by Senate Agricultural and Forestry, House Agricultural Passed the Senate on March 29, 1957 (Passed) Passed the House on April 11, 1957 (Passed) with amendment Senate agreed to House amendment on May 8, 1957 (Agreed) Signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on May 23, 1957

The Federal Plant Pest Act of 1957 (P.L. 85–36) prohibited the movement of pests from a foreign country into or through the United States unless authorized by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

It was superseded by the Plant Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106–224, Title IV).^[1] Under the new law, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) retains broad authority to inspect, seize, quarantine, treat, destroy or dispose of imported plant and animal materials that are potentially harmful to U.S. agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and, to a certain degree, natural resources. (7 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.).

Titles of the Act

The 1957 Act was drafted as two titles defining policy standards for the control, eradication, and regulation of plant pests.

Title I - Federal Plant Pest Act - 7 U.S.C. §§ 150aa-150jj

Definitions

Dissemination of plant pests

Postal laws

Seizure of infected plants

Regulations and conditions

Inspections and seizures

Penalty

Separability

Disinfection of railway cars

Repeals

Title II - Eradication and Control of Insect Pests, Plant Diseases, and Nematodes - 7 U.S.C. § 147a

Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 amendment