9 CFR § 4.11 - Stipulations.
(a) At any time prior to the issuance of a complaint seeking a civil penalty under the Act, the Administrator, in his or her discretion, may enter into a stipulation with any person in which:
(1) The Administrator gives notice of an apparent violation of the Act, or the regulations or standards issued thereunder, by such person and affords such person an opportunity for a hearing regarding the matter as provided by the Act;
(2) Such person expressly waives hearing and agrees to pay a specified penalty within a designated time; and
(3) The Administrator agrees to accept the specified penalty in settlement of the particular matter involved if it is paid within the designated time.
(b) If the specified penalty is not paid within the time designated in such a stipulation, the amount of the stipulated penalty shall not be relevant in any respect to the penalty which may be assessed after issuance of a complaint.