FOR RELEASE
Contact: Dennis Watson
08/25/2003 (Monday)
(202) 565-1596
No. 03-37
FIRS 1 (800) 877-8339
www.stb.gov


Surface Transportation Board Adopts Revisions to Its User Fees Reflecting Inflationary Cost Increases & Varying Changes to Overhead Factors


Surface Transportation Board (Board) Chairman Roger Nober announced today that the Board has adopted its 2003 User Fee Update Schedule ("2003 Update") for the processing of various transportation financial transactions and other types of proceedings filed with the Board.



The Board made its 2003 Update in the proceeding entitled Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services--2003 Update,STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 10). In adopting the 2003 Update, the Board reiterated that the regulations provide for the waiver of a fee for any entity demonstrating that payment of such a fee will present a financial hardship.



A printed copy of today's decision is available for a fee by contacting D~ 2 D~ Legal Copy Service, Suite 405, 1925 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 293-7776, or via da2dalegal@verizon.net. The decision also is available for viewing and downloading via the Board's website at http://www.stb.dot.gov. A fact sheet is attached to this news release.



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ATTACHMENT
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FACT SHEET

Regulations Governing Fees for Services Performed in Connection with Licensing and Related Services--2003 Update,STB Ex Parte No. 542 (Sub-No. 10)

The 2003 Update--to become effective September 24, 2003--primarily is designed to offset agency expenses and to reflect changes to the Board's overhead factors (decreases to all three factors).

The 2003 Update maintains the same 114 fee items or sub-fee items ("items") from the Board's 2002 User Fee Update Schedule ("2002 Update"). Only 47 (about 41 percent) of these fees reflect increases over the Board's 2002 Update, ranging from small increases of $1 for one item and $2 for two other items, to an $11,900 increase for the processing of a major financial transaction (a proposed merger, for example). Of the items being increased, about 70 percent (33 items) are being increased by $100 or less, while the remaining items (14) are being increased by more than $100 each. Sixty-seven existing items remain unchanged.

The regulations at Section 1002 of Title 49, United Stated Code (49 CFR 1002) require the Board to conduct a proceeding annually to update its user fee schedule to reflect the cost of the services it provides. Fee increases involved in the 2003 Update generally were derived from the application of the update formula at Section 1002.3(d) of Title 49 adopted by the Board (following public notice and comment procedures) in the proceeding entitled Regulations Governing Fees for Services--1987 Update, 4 I.C.C.2d 137 (1987). The 2003 Update is in accordance with the Congressional directive, included in the Fiscal Year 2003 transportation appropriations legislation, that the Board raise $1 million in fees to cover a portion of its budget.

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