FOR RELEASE
Contact: Janie Sheng (202) 245-0221
09/02/2010 (Thursday)
Eric Weiss
No. 10-25


FedRelay 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov
SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD TO INCLUDE A "PLAIN LANGUAGE" SUMMARY WITH BOARD DECISIONS


The Federal Surface Transportation Board announced today that it will begin including a "plain language" summary in future decisions issued by the entire Board.


The goal is to offer a jargon-free summary of the decision for the convenience of the public. The digests will summarize the decision without relying on legal citations to statutes or case law.


"You shouldn't need a law degree to follow the business of the STB," said Board Chairman Daniel R. Elliott III. "This is another effort to make the Board's work more open and accessible to the public."


Because they are provided for the convenience of the public, the digests may neither be relied upon as Board precedent, nor cited to or quoted from for any legal purpose. They will be similar to the syllabus and headnotes of U.S. Supreme Court decisions.


In the past year, the Board has instituted several changes to foster transparency and openness. The Board now holds public oral arguments on key cases and is undertaking a major redesign of its website, www.stb.dot.gov, to allow for greater openness and public interaction.


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