Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) was an independent agency of the United States government from 1887 to 1995. It enforced federal laws that dealt with the transportation of passengers and property by land and water across state lines. The commission regulated the rates and trade practices of companies that provided transportation between states by train, motor vehicles, and barges.
The commission worked to ensure that adequate services were available to the public. It also encouraged fair wages and good working conditions in the transportation industry. Rates were to be set fairly, with no unjust discrimination or competition. The commission worked with officials of the states to develop and preserve the national transportation system.
Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887. The original commission had authority only over railroads and had little power to enforce its rulings. It obtained powers to enforce its orders in 1906. Later, several laws expanded the commission’s authority. In 1935, for example, it received authority over trucks and buses. It gained responsibility for shipping on inland waterways in 1940.
The commission lost its authority over passenger train services in 1970, when Congress created Amtrak. Amtrak is a semipublic corporation that operates intercity passenger trains. In 1976, the commission’s powers were reduced again when a federal law gave railroads greater freedom from the commission in establishing freight rates and in other matters. A 1980 law further reduced the commission’s control of the railroad industry. Legislation passed in 1980 and 1982 reduced its authority over the trucking and passenger bus industries.
In 1995, Congress further deregulated the rail, trucking, and bus industries and abolished the Interstate Commerce Commission. It transferred all remaining regulatory functions to the newly created Surface Transportation Board and to the Federal Highway Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
