Subsection 203(h) of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended by Public Law 272, 84th Congress, provides criminal penalties for various specified offenses relating to official certificates, memoranda, marks or other identifications, and devices for making such marks or identifications, issued or authorized under section 203 of said Act and certain misrepresentations concerning the inspection or grading of agricultural products under said section. For the purposes of said subsection and the provisions in this subpart, the terms listed below shall have the respective meanings specified:

(a) Official certificate means any form of certification, either written, printed or electronic, used under this subpart to certify with respect to the fiber quality and conditions of samples submitted (including the compliance of submitted samples with applicable specifications).

(b) Official memorandum means any initial record of findings made by an authorized person in the process of grading and classing, pursuant to this subpart, any processing or plant-operation report made by an authorized person in connection with grading and classing under this subpart, and any report made by an authorized person of services performed pursuant to this subpart.

(c) Official mark, for the purposes of this subpart, means the grade mark, inspection mark, and any other mark associated only with the samples submitted to the Department for classification.

(d) Official identification means any United States (U.S.) standard designation of class, grade, quality, or condition specified in this subpart or any symbol, stamp, label, or seal indicating that the submitted sample has been officially graded and/or indicating the class, grade, quality, or condition of the submitted sample.

(e) Official device means a stamping appliance branding device, stencil, printed label or any other mechanically or manually operated tool that is approved by the Administrator for the purpose of applying any official mark or other identification to any product or the packaging material thereof.