Surface Transportation Board
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| State level | Independent federal agency | ||
| Consist | since January 1, 1996 | ||
| Immediately beforehand | Interstate Commerce Commission | ||
| Headquarters | Washington, DC | ||
| household | $ 37,100,000 (budget year 2018) | ||
| Coordinates | 38 ° 53 '1.8 " N , 77 ° 1' 0.8" W | ||
| Chairman of the Board | Ann D. Begeman | ||
| Employee | 142 FTE (budget year 2018) | ||
| Website | https://www.stb.gov | ||
The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has been the American regulatory authority for all transportation services with the exception of air traffic since January 1, 1996 .
It was established by the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act in 1995 and replaced the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), which had existed since 1887. However, the Surface Transportation Board has a much smaller range of tasks. The re-establishment resulted from the widespread dissatisfaction with the ICC, which had been accused, among other things, of one-sided orientation towards the interests of road freight companies and shippers. The main point of criticism was a restrictive licensing practice, often judged to be anti-competitive, which largely denied the railways real competition.
The main task of the STB is the performance of regulatory tasks in the transport sector, especially on freight tariffs and corporate mergers in the transport sector, so-called mergers . In addition, the STB also has an arbitration function against freight railways and consignors for rail transport. The STB is not bound by any instructions in its decisions.
By 2015, the authority was organizationally to the Department of Transportation ( Department of Transportation (DoT) attached). With the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act coming into force on December 18, 2015, the STB became an independent federal agency .
The STB is responsible for the following areas:
- Railway tariffs and service
- Restructuring in the railway sector ( mergers , route sales, new lines, closures)
- Truck and sea shipping tariffs
- Long-distance bus services (corporate structures, financing and operational matters)
- Tariffs for pipelines , unless these are already regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission .
The STB is based in Washington DC at 395 E Street.
Management of the authority
The authority was headed from 1996 to 2015 by a three-person body, a chairman, a deputy and an assessor. With the amendment to the law in 2015, two more seats were created. A seat was occupied for the first time in 2019. Of the persons confirmed by the Senate, three (two by 2015) must have knowledge of the transport sector and regulation. Two people (one person by 2015) must have experience in the private sector.
The members of this body are appointed for a five-year period ending on December 31st. A one-time re-election is possible. If a member of the committee ends his appointment prematurely, a successor will be appointed for the remainder of the time. If no successor can be found after the end of the regular term of office, the term of office can be extended by a further year. With the founding of the STB, the members of the board had the following terms remaining from their membership in the Interstate Commerce Commission: Linda J. Morgan until December 31, 1998, Gus A. Owen until December 31, 1997. JJ Simmons was the Term of office ended and he was in the transition year. For the new seats created in 2015, the five-year period begins with the first confirmation from the Senate.
The members are made up of cross-party members. The party representing the president has the right to take the majority of the seats and to propose the chairman.
- Chair of the Board
- Linda J. Morgan (January 1, 1996– November 26, 2002)
- Roger Nober (November 26, 2002– January 4, 2006)
- W. Douglas Buttrey (January 5, 2006– August 14, 2006)
- Charles D. Nottingham (August 14, 2006– March 12, 2009)
- Francis P. Mulvey (acting March 12, 2009– August 13, 2009)
- Daniel R. Elliott III. (August 13, 2009– December 31, 2014)
- Deb Miller (acting January 1, 2015– June 26, 2015)
- Daniel R. Elliott III. (June 26, 2015– January 25, 2017)
- Ann D. Begeman (from January 25, 2017, temporarily until March 19, 2018)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Surface Transportation Board: About STB> Overview , accessed November 30, 2016
- ↑ a b Board Members
- ↑ STB Press Release January 25, 2017: President Trump appoints Ann Begeman acting chairman of Surface Transportation Board