[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”0″ padding_right=”0″ hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#020202″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]House reauthorizes Surface Transportation Board[/title][fusion_text]Friday, December 11th 2015
Key farm and industry stakeholders applauded the House’s Thursday passage of a bill to reauthorize the Surface Transportation Board (STB) – the federal railroad regulatory agency. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, introduced the bill (S 808) to “help address the uncertainty encountered by businesses and agriculture producers who are forced to deal with the STB” and “increase the board’s accountability” through 2020, he said in a release. The STB, a federal agency run by a three-member bipartisan board, has regulatory jurisdiction over the nation’s railroad rates, mergers, line acquisitions, new rail-line construction, line abandonment, or other rail system issues. The panel was created in 1996, but was never reauthorized or reformed until now. The reauthorization bill passed the House with bipartisan support today, and cleared the Senate by unanimous consent in June. Key provisions of the bill would set timelines and procedures for STB’s dispute resolution process, give STB the authority to initiative rate review investigations, expand the board’s membership from three to five, and allow board members to communicate with one another with proper disclosure. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature.
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