                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                      CHAPTER 12--TRADE ACT OF 1974
 
     SUBCHAPTER II--RELIEF FROM INJURY CAUSED BY IMPORT COMPETITION
 
                Part 2--Adjustment Assistance for Workers
 
                 subpart a--petitions and determinations
 
Sec. 2272. Group eligibility requirements; agricultural workers; 
        oil and natural gas industry
        
    (a) The Secretary shall certify a group of workers (including 
workers in any agricultural firm or subdivision of an agricultural firm) 
as eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under this subpart if he 
determines--
        (1) that a significant number or proportion of the workers in 
    such workers' firm or an appropriate subdivision of the firm have 
    become totally or partially separated, or are threatened to become 
    totally or partially separated,
        (2) that sales or production, or both, of such firm or 
    subdivision have decreased absolutely, and
        (3) that increases of imports of articles like or directly 
    competitive with articles produced by such workers' firm or an 
    appropriate subdivision thereof contributed importantly to such 
    total or partial separation, or threat thereof, and to such decline 
    in sales or production.

    (b) For purposes of subsection (a)(3) of this section--
        (1) The term ``contributed importantly'' means a cause which is 
    important but not necessarily more important than any other cause.
        (2)(A) Any firm, or appropriate subdivision of a firm, that 
    engages in exploration or drilling for oil or natural gas shall be 
    considered to be a firm producing oil or natural gas.
        (B) Any firm, or appropriate subdivision of a firm, that engages 
    in exploration or drilling for oil or natural gas, or otherwise 
    produces oil or natural gas, shall be considered to be producing 
    articles directly competitive with imports of oil and with imports 
    of natural gas.

(Pub. L. 93-618, title II, Sec. 222, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 2019; Pub. 
L. 97-35, title XXV, Sec. 2501, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 881; Pub. L. 98-
120, Sec. 3(a), Oct. 12, 1983, 97 Stat. 809; Pub. L. 99-272, title XIII, 
Sec. 13002(a), Apr. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 300; Pub. L. 100-418, title I, 
Sec. 1421(a)(1)(A), (b)(1), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1242, 1243; Pub. L. 
103-182, title V, Sec. 503(a), Dec. 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 2151.)


                               Amendments

    1993--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103-182 substituted ``assistance under 
this subpart'' for ``assistance under this part''.
    1988--Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 1421(a)(1)(A), struck out last sentence 
which defined ``contributed importantly'' for purposes of par. (3), 
designated remaining provisions as subsec. (a), and added subsec. (b).
    Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 100-418, Sec. 1421(b)(1), directed the 
general amendment of par. (3) adding provisions relating to provision of 
essential goods or services by such workers' firm, or appropriate 
subdivision thereof, which amendment did not become effective pursuant 
to section 1430(d) of Pub. L. 100-418, as amended, set out as an 
Effective Date note under section 2397 of this title.
    1986--Pub. L. 99-272 inserted ``(including workers in any 
agricultural firm or subdivision of an agricultural firm)'' after 
``group of workers''.
    1983--Pub. L. 98-120, Sec. 3(a)(2), substituted ``For purposes of 
paragraph (3), the term `contributed importantly' means a cause which is 
important, but not necessarily more important than any other cause'' for 
``For purposes of paragraph (3), the term `substantial cause' means a 
cause which is important and not less than any other cause'' in 
provision following par. (3).
    Par. (3). Pub. L. 98-120, Sec. 3(a)(1), substituted ``contributed 
importantly to such total or partial separation, or threat thereof, and 
to such decline'' for ``were a substantial cause of such total or 
partial separation, or threat thereof, and of such decline''.
    1981--Pub. L. 97-35 substituted provisions defining ``substantial 
cause'' and applicability of such term in par. (3) for provisions 
defining ``contributed importantly'' and applicability of such term in 
par. (3).


                    Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 103-182 effective on the date the North 
American Free Trade Agreement enters into force with respect to the 
United States [Jan. 1, 1994], see section 506(a) of Pub. L. 103-182, set 
out as an Effective Date note under section 2331 of this title.


                    Effective Date of 1983 Amendment

    Section 3(b) of Pub. L. 98-120 provided that: ``The amendments made 
by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to 
petitions for certification filed under section 221 of the Trade Act of 
1974 [19 U.S.C. 2271] on or after October 1, 1983.''


       Effective Date of 1981 Amendment and Transition Provisions

    Amendment by Pub. L. 97-35 applicable to petitions filed on or after 
Oct. 1, 1983, with transition provisions applicable, see section 2514 of 
Pub. L. 97-35, set out as a note under section 2291 of this title.


                            Termination Date

    No assistance, vouchers, allowances, or other payments may be 
provided under subparts A to C of this part after Sept. 30, 2001, see 
section 285 of Pub. L. 93-618, as amended, set out as a note preceding 
section 2271 of this title.


       Workers Covered by Certification Notwithstanding Other Law

    Section 1421(a)(1)(B) of Pub. L. 100-418 provided that: 
``Notwithstanding section 223(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 [19 U.S.C. 
2273(b)], or any other provision of law, any certification made under 
subchapter A of chapter 2 of title II of such Act [this subpart] which--
        ``(i) is made with respect to a petition filed before the date 
    that is 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 23, 
    1988], and
        ``(ii) would not have been made if the amendments made by 
    subparagraph (A) [amending this section] had not been enacted into 
    law,
shall apply to any worker whose most recent total or partial separation 
from the firm, or appropriate subdivision of the firm, described in 
section 222(a) of such Act [19 U.S.C. 2272(a)] occurs after September 
30, 1985.''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 2273, 2296 of this title.
