As used throughout this subpart, unless the context otherwise requires, the following terms shall be construed, respectively, to mean:

(a) The Act. The United States Cotton Standards Act, approved March 4, 1923 (42 Stat. 1517; 7 U.S.C. 51 et seq.) with such amendments as may be made from time to time.

(b) Regulations. Regulations mean the provisions in this subpart.

(c) Department. The United States Department of Agriculture.

(d) Secretary. The Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, or any officer or employee of the Department who has been delegated, or who mayhereafter be delegated the authority to act for the Secretary.

(e) Service. The Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

(f) Administrator. The Administrator of the Agricultural Marketing Service, or any officer or employee of the Service, who has been delegated, or who may hereafter be delegated the authority to act for the Administrator.

(g) Program. The Cotton and Tobacco Program of the Agricultural Marketing Service.

(h) Director. The Director of the Cotton Division, or any officer or employee of the Division who has been delegated, or who may hereafter be delegated the authority to act for the Director.

(i) Classing Office. A facility of the Cotton Division established under the act at any point.

(j) Quality Assurance Division. The national classing supervision office at Memphis, Tennessee performing final review of cotton classification.

(k) Cotton classer. An employee of the Department so designated by the Director after having passed the prescribed practical cotton classing examination.

(l) License. A license issued under the Act by the Secretary to sample cotton.

(m) Licensed warehouse or gin. A cotton warehouse or gin licensed under the United States Cotton Standards Act to sample cotton.

(n) Cotton. The word cotton means cotton of any variety produced within the continental United States. In this subpart, for administrative convenience the word “cotton” is used to signify vegetable hair removed from cottonseed in the usual process of ginning.

(o) Upland Cotton. All cotton grown anywhere within the continental United States including the growths sometimes referred to as Upland, Gulf, and Texas cotton, but excluding American Pima growths.

(p) Official Cotton Standards. Official Cotton Standards of the United States for the color grade and the leaf grade of American upland cotton, the color grade and the leaf grade of American Pima cotton, the length of staple, and fiber property measurements, adopted or established pursuant to the Act, or any change or replacement thereof.

(q) Universal Cotton Standards. The official cotton standards of the United States for the grade of American upland cotton. May be referenced informally as “Universal standards.”

(r) Person. Individual, association, partnership, or corporation, or two or more individuals having a joint or common interest.

(s) Owner. Person who through financial interest, owns, controls, or has the disposition either of cotton or of samples.

(t) Custodian. Person who has possession or control of cotton or of samples, as agent, controller, broker, or factor, as the case may be.

(u) State. A State, Territory, or district of the United States.

(Sec. 2, Pub. Res. 72-73, 47 Stat. 1621 (7 U.S.C. 51b); sec. 3c, Pub. L. 75-28, 50 Stat. 62 (7 U.S.C. 473c))

[22 FR 10932, Dec. 28, 1957, as amended at 28 FR 10633, Oct. 3, 1963; 30 FR 6637, May 14, 1965; 42 FR 24711, May 16, 1977; 46 FR 24927, May 4, 1981; 52 FR 30880, Aug. 18, 1987; 58 FR 41993, Aug. 6, 1993; 65 FR 36600, June 9, 2000; 81 FR 7029, Feb. 10, 2016]