[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4488 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4488

 To ensure effective rail competition and maintain reasonable rates in 
                 the absence of effective competition.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 1998

 Mr. Moran of Kansas introduced the following bill; which was referred 
         to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To ensure effective rail competition and maintain reasonable rates in 
                 the absence of effective competition.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rail Service Improvement Act of 
1998''.

SEC. 2. OFFERS OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO AVOID ABANDONMENT AND 
              DISCONTINUANCE.

    Section 10904 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c), by striking ``4 months'' and 
        inserting ``16 months''; and
            (2) in subsections (d)(1) and (f)(3), by striking ``4-
        month'' each place it appears and inserting ``16-month''.

SEC. 3. RATE CASE PROCEDURES.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Surface Transportation Board shall--
            (1) identify, and to the extent practicable implement, 
        improvements to its procedures for deciding whether a rate, 
        classification, rule, or order of a rail carrier is in 
        violation of part A of subtitle IV of title 49, United States 
        Code, that will result in a more expeditious resolution of 
        issues and a less expensive process for parties initiating a 
        complaint; and
            (2) transmit to the Congress a report including--
                    (A) a description of actions taken under paragraph 
                (1);
                    (B) a description of further actions of the same 
                nature anticipated but not yet taken; and
                    (C) recommendations for any changes in law required 
                to make further improvements described in paragraph 
                (1).

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF RAIL TRANSPORTATION POLICY.

    Section 10101 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``In 
        regulating''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(b) Primary Objectives.--The primary objectives of the rail 
transportation policy of the United States shall be--
            ``(1) to ensure effective competition among rail carriers 
        at origin and destination;
            ``(2) to maintain reasonable rates in the absence of 
        effective competition; and
            ``(3) to ensure the continued health and viability of the 
        railroad industry.''.

SEC. 5. APPROVAL OF ABANDONMENT OR DISCONTINUANCE.

    Section 10903(e)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting ``or are important to protect the potential for later 
revival of the railroad line as an economically viable railroad line'' 
after ``convenience and necessity''.
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