[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1447-1449]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-00535]
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SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD
49 CFR Part 1022
[Docket No. EP 716 (Sub-No. 11)]
Civil Monetary Penalties--2026 Adjustment
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (Board) is issuing a final
rule to implement the annual inflationary adjustment to its civil
monetary penalties, pursuant to the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation
Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.
DATES: This final rule is effective January 14, 2026.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amanda Gorski at (202) 915-8453. If
you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act,
please call (202) 245-0245.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements
Act of 2015 (2015 Act), enacted as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act of
2015, Public Law 114-74, 701, 129 Stat. 584, 599-601, requires agencies
to adjust their civil penalties for inflation annually, beginning on
July 1, 2016, and no later than January 15 of every year thereafter. In
accordance with the 2015 Act, annual inflation adjustments are to be
based on the percent change between the Consumer Price Index for all
Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for October of the previous year and the
October CPI-U of the year before that. Penalty level adjustments should
be rounded to the nearest dollar. Due to the lapse in Federal
government appropriations from October 1, 2025, through November 12,
2025, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is responsible for
production of the CPI-U, did not release a CPI-U for October 2025.
Therefore, the Board is basing its annual inflation adjustment for 2026
on the percent change between the CPI-U for November 2025 and the CPI-U
for November 2024. Should additional guidance or data relevant to this
calculation be released following the issuance of this decision, the
Board will issue an amended decision, as appropriate.
II. Discussion
The statutory definition of civil monetary penalty covers various
civil penalty provisions under the Rail (Part A); Motor Carriers, Water
Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders (Part B); and Pipeline
Carriers (Part C) provisions of the Interstate Commerce Act, as
amended. The Board's civil (and criminal) penalty authority related to
rail transportation is codified at 49 U.S.C. 11901-11908. The Board's
penalty authority related to motor carriers, water carriers, brokers,
and freight forwarders appears at 49 U.S.C. 14901-14916. The Board's
penalty authority related to pipeline carriers is codified at 49 U.S.C.
16101-16106.\1\ The Board has regulations at 49 CFR part 1022 that
codify the method set forth in the 2015 Act for annually adjusting for
inflation the civil monetary penalties within the Board's jurisdiction.
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\1\ The Board also has various criminal penalty authority,
enforceable in a federal criminal court. Congress has not, however,
authorized federal agencies to adjust statutorily prescribed
criminal penalty provisions for inflation, and this rule does not
address those provisions.
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As set forth in this final rule, the Board is amending 49 CFR part
1022 to make an annual inflation adjustment to the civil monetary
penalties in conformance with the requirements of the 2015 Act. The
adjusted penalties set forth in the rule will apply only to violations
that occur after the effective date of this regulation.
The annual adjustment adopted here is calculated by multiplying
each current penalty by a cost-of-living adjustment factor of 1.02735,
which reflects the percentage change between the November 2025 CPI-U
(324.122) and the November 2024 CPI-U (315.493). The table at the end
of this decision shows the statutory citation for each civil penalty, a
description of the provision, the adjusted statutory civil penalty
level for 2025, and the adjusted statutory civil penalty level for
2026.
III. Final Rule
The final rule set forth at the end of this decision is being
issued without notice and comment pursuant to the
[[Page 1448]]
rulemaking provision of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5
U.S.C. 553(b)(B), which does not require that process ``when the agency
for good cause finds'' that public notice and comment are
``unnecessary.'' Here, Congress has mandated that the agency make an
annual inflation adjustment to its civil monetary penalties. The Board
has no discretion to set alternative levels of adjusted civil monetary
penalties because the amount of the inflation adjustment must be
calculated in accordance with the statutory formula.\2\ Given the
absence of discretion, the Board has determined that there is good
cause to promulgate this rule without soliciting public comment and to
make this regulation effective immediately upon publication.
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\2\ As noted above, the Board is using November CPI-U data
because October CPI-U data for 2025 was not available by the January
15 statutory deadline for this decision.
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IV. Regulatory Flexibility Statement
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA), as amended by the Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996, 5 U.S.C. 601-612,
generally requires an agency to prepare a regulatory flexibility
analysis of any rule subject to notice and comment rulemaking
requirements, unless the agency certifies that the rule will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Because the Board has determined that notice and comment are not
required under the APA for this rulemaking, the requirements of the RFA
do not apply.
V. Congressional Review Act
Pursuant to the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. 801-808, the
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has designated this rule
as a non-major rule, as defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2).
VI. Paperwork Reduction Act
This final rule does not contain a new or amended information
collection requirement subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. 3501-3521.
It is ordered:
1. The Board amends its rules as set forth in this decision. Notice
of the final rule will be published in the Federal Register.
2. This decision is effective on its date of publication in the
Federal Register.
Decided: January 9, 2026.
By the Board, Board Members Fuchs, Hedlund, and Schultz.
List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 1022
Administrative practice and procedures, Brokers, Civil penalties,
Freight forwarders, Motor carriers, Pipeline carriers, Rail carriers,
Water carriers.
Jeffrey Herzig,
Clearance Clerk.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, part 1022 of title 49,
chapter X, of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended as follows:
PART 1022--CIVIL MONETARY PENALTY INFLATION ADJUSTMENT
0
1. The authority citation for part 1022 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 551-557; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note; 49 U.S.C.
11901, 14901, 14903, 14904, 14905, 14906, 14907, 14908, 14910,
14915, 14916, 16101, 16103.
0
2. Revise Sec. 1022.4(b) to read as follows:
Sec. 1022.4 Cost-of-living adjustments of civil monetary penalties.
* * * * *
(b) The cost-of-living adjustment required by the statute results
in the following adjustments to the civil monetary penalties within the
jurisdiction of the Board:
Table 1 to Paragraph (b)
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2025--Penalty 2026--Adjusted
amount penalty amount
U.S. Code citation Civil monetary penalty ----------------- \1\
description EP 716_10 ------------------
(2025) EP 716_11 (2026)
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Rail Carrier
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49 U.S.C. 11901(a)............................... Unless otherwise 9,970 10,243
specified, maximum
penalty for each knowing
violation under this
part, and for each day.
49 U.S.C. 11901(b)............................... For each violation under 998 1,025
sec. 11124(a)(2) or (b).
49 U.S.C. 11901(b)............................... For each day violation 51 52
continues.
49 U.S.C. 11901(c)............................... Maximum penalty for each 9,970 10,243
knowing violation under
secs. 10901-10906.
49 U.S.C. 11901(d)............................... For each violation under 198-998 203-1,025
sec. 11123 or
11124(a)(1).
49 U.S.C. 11901(d)............................... For each day violation 100 103
continues.
49 U.S.C. 11901(e)(1), (4)....................... For each violation under 998 1,025
secs. 11141-11145, for
each day.
49 U.S.C. 11901(e)(2), (4)....................... For each violation under 198 203
sec. 11144(b)(1), for
each day.
49 U.S.C. 11901(e)(3)-(4)........................ For each violation of 198 203
reporting requirements,
for each day.
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Motor and Water Carrier
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49 U.S.C. 14901(a)............................... Minimum penalty for each 1,365 1,402
violation and for each
day.
49 U.S.C. 14901(a)............................... For each violation under 13,647 14,020
sec. 13901 or 13902(c).
49 U.S.C. 14901(a)............................... For each violation 34,116 35,049
related to
transportation of
passengers.
49 U.S.C. 14901(b)............................... For each violation of the 27,293-54,586 28,039-56,079
hazardous waste rules
under sec. 3001 of the
Solid Waste Disposal Act.
49 U.S.C. 14901(d)(1)............................ Minimum penalty for each 1,992 2,046
violation of household
good regulations, and
for each day.
49 U.S.C. 14901(d)(2)............................ Minimum penalty for each 19,941 20,486
instance of
transportation of
household goods if
broker provides estimate
without carrier
agreement.
49 U.S.C. 14901(d)(3)............................ Minimum penalty for each 49,848 51,211
instance of
transportation of
household goods without
being registered.
49 U.S.C. 14901(e)............................... Minimum penalty for each 3,988 4,097
violation of a
transportation rule.
[[Page 1449]]
49 U.S.C. 14901(e)............................... Minimum penalty for each 9,970 10,243
additional violation.
49 U.S.C. 14903(a)............................... Maximum penalty for 199,408 204,862
undercharge or
overcharge of tariff
rate, for each violation.
49 U.S.C. 14904(a)............................... For first violation, 398 409
rebates at less than the
rate in effect.
49 U.S.C. 14904(a)............................... For all subsequent 500 514
violations.
49 U.S.C. 14904(b)(1)............................ Maximum penalty for first 998 1,025
violation for
undercharges by freight
forwarders.
49 U.S.C. 14904(b)(1)............................ Maximum penalty for 3,988 4,097
subsequent violations.
49 U.S.C. 14904(b)(2)............................ Maximum penalty for other 998 1,025
first violations under
sec. 13702.
49 U.S.C. 14904(b)(2)............................ Maximum penalty for 3,988 4,097
subsequent violations..
49 U.S.C. 14905(a)............................... Maximum penalty for each 19,941 20,486
knowing violation of
sec. 14103(a), and
knowingly authorizing,
consenting to, or
permitting a violation
of sec. 14103(a) or (b).
49 U.S.C. 14906.................................. Minimum penalty for first 2,730 2,805
attempt to evade
regulation.
49 U.S.C. 14906.................................. Minimum amount for each 6,823 7,010
subsequent attempt to
evade regulation.
49 U.S.C. 14907.................................. Maximum penalty for 9,970 10,243
recordkeeping/reporting
violations.
49 U.S.C. 14908(a)(2)............................ Maximum penalty for 3,988 4,097
violation of sec.
14908(a)(1).
49 U.S.C. 14910.................................. When another civil 998 1,025
penalty is not specified
under this part, for
each violation, for each
day.
49 U.S.C. 14915(a)(1)-(2)........................ Minimum penalty for 15,846 16,279
holding a household
goods shipment hostage,
for each day.
49 U.S.C. 14916(c)(1)............................ Maximum penalty for each 13,647 14,020
knowing violation under
sec. 14916(a) for
unlawful brokerage
activities.
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Pipeline Carrier
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49 U.S.C. 16101(a)............................... Maximum penalty for 9,970 10,243
violation of this part,
for each day.
49 U.S.C. 16101(b)(1), (4)....................... For each recordkeeping 998 1,025
violation under sec.
15722, each day.
49 U.S.C. 16101(b)(2), (4)....................... For each inspection 198 203
violation liable under
sec. 15722, each day.
49 U.S.C. 16101(b)(3)-(4)........................ For each reporting 198 203
violation under sec.
15723, each day.
49 U.S.C. 16103(a)............................... Maximum penalty for 1,992 2,046
improper disclosure of
information.
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\1\ Because October 2025 Consumer Price Index data was not available by the January 15 statutory deadline for
publishing adjusted penalty amounts, the cost-of-living adjustment for 2026 reflects the percentage by which
the November 2025 Consumer Price Index exceeds the November 2024 Consumer Price Index.
[FR Doc. 2026-00535 Filed 1-13-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-01-P