Interstate Commerce Commission

Budget and Other Impacts of Eliminating or Transferring Functions Gao ID: T-RCED-95-111 February 22, 1995

If Congress were to repeal the Interstate Commerce Act and eliminate the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), the budget savings would total $39 million. Virtually all the options GAO reviewed for transferring ICC's functions offer opportunities for savings--ranging from $16 million to $28 million. Of potentially greater significance, however, is the issue of how ICC's remaining regulatory functions would be handled in the future. If Congress decides that there is still a need for a high degree of independence and the application of substantial expertise in carrying out the remaining regulatory processes, a merger with the Federal Maritime Commission or incorporating the functions into the Transportation Department under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-like model might be preferable. On the other hand, if Congress decides that an independent regulatory agency is no longer necessary, then greater savings might be realized by integrating the remaining ICC functions into the Transportation Department or by dividing them among several agencies.



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