Joint Petition for Rulemaking To Establish a Voluntary Arbitration Program for Small Rate Disputes

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Surface Transportation Board 49 CFR Parts 1011, 1108, 1115, and 1244 [Docket No. EP 765] ( printed page 700) AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board (STB or Board) adopts a final rule modifying its regulations to establish a voluntary arbitration program for small rate disputes. DATES: This rule is effective February 3, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Ziehm at (202) 245-0391. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Board issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on November 15, 2021, published in the Federal Register on November 26, 2021 ( 86 FR 67588 ), to modify its regulations to establish a voluntary arbitration program for small rate disputes. Joint Pet. for Rulemaking to Establish a Voluntary Arbitration Program for Small Rate Disputes ( Arbitration NPRM ), EP 765 (STB served Nov. 15, 2021). Under this new arbitration program, Class I rail carriers would voluntarily agree to arbitrate small rate disputes up to $4 million over a two-year relief period. As proposed, the Class I carriers that agreed to participate in this new arbitration program would do so for a five-year term, subject only to a right to withdraw from the program if there is a material change in the law, while complainants would participate on a case-by-case basis. [ 1 ] The Board's proposed voluntary arbitration program also included several othe…