Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
Last week, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced the Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization Act of 2015 (S. 808), a bipartisan STB reform bill. The bill would provide the STB with the tools it needs to be a more efficient and effective agency and is a very important step in the effort to promote access to competitive freight rail service and provide a more efficient venue to address rate and service issues between railroads and their customers.
The lack of freight rail competition is costly to American businesses. With the dramatic changes in the rail sector, now is the time to re-evaluate and modernize our rail policy framework to meet present and future needs. Twenty years have passed since Congress created the STB, and it is clear reform is overdue.
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL)
The legislation introduced by Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson would increase the STB from three to five board members and allow non-public meetings; enable the board to initiate investigations without shipper complaints and create new guidelines for the investigations; streamline rate case procedures and set timelines for completing those cases; require the board to create new quarterly public reports on pending cases and a provide a list of complaints on the public website; and establish a meaningful voluntary dispute resolution process so the board can make judgments up to $25 million, among other significant improvements.
I encourage all NACD members to visit www.chemreactions.com to write to your U.S. Senators in support of S. 808 which will also be an important topic of conversation at NACD’s 2015 Washington Fly-In, April 28-29 here in Washington, DC.
Face-to-face visits with Members of Congress and their staff is the most effective way to connect lawmakers with their constituents and be heard on critical issues like rail service. Please mark April 28-29 on your calendar and join nearly 100 other NACD member participants as they take to Capitol Hill to advocate for STB reform!
Responsible Reflections 