Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial ProcedureRelease 119-73
§2321 Judicial review of Board’s orders and decisions; procedure generally; process
Title 28 › Part PART VI— - PARTICULAR PROCEEDINGS › Chapter CHAPTER 157— - SURFACE TRANSPORTATION BOARD ORDERS; ENFORCEMENT AND REVIEW › § 2321
Summary
To stop or pause a rule, regulation, or order from the Surface Transportation Board, the case must be filed in the court of appeals under chapter 158, unless Congress says something different. When a district court enforces a Surface Transportation Board order (except cases about paying money or collecting fines, penalties, or forfeitures), it must use the procedures in this chapter. In those enforcement cases, and in actions to collect civil penalties under subtitle IV of title 49, district court orders and papers can be used, served, and returned anywhere in the United States.
Full Legal Text
Title 28, §2321
Judiciary and Judicial Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Except as otherwise provided by an Act of Congress, a proceeding to enjoin or suspend, in whole or in part, a rule, regulation, or order of the Surface Transportation Board shall be brought in the court of appeals as provided by and in the manner prescribed in chapter 158 of this title.
(b)The procedure in the district courts in actions to enforce, in whole or in part, any order of the Surface Transportation Board other than for payment of money or the collection of fines, penalties, and forfeitures, shall be as provided in this chapter.
(c)The orders, writs, and process of the district courts may, in the cases specified in subsection (b) and in enforcement actions and actions to collect civil penalties under subtitle IV of title 49, run, be served and be returnable anywhere in the United States.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
1948 ActBased on title 28, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 44 (Oct. 22, 1913, ch. 32, 38 Stat. 220.) Word “actions” was substituted for “cases,” in view of rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. The exception as to procedure in the infliction of criminal punishment was omitted as unnecessary, as Title 18, U.S.C., Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure govern procedure in criminal matters. Changes were made in phraseology. 1949 ActThis section corrects, in section 2321 of title 28, U.S.C., the reference to certain sections in title 49, U.S.C. The provisions which were formerly set out as section 49 of such title 49, are now set out as section 23 of such title.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1995—Pub. L. 104–88 substituted “Board’s” for “Commission’s” in section catchline and “Surface Transportation Board” for “Interstate Commerce Commission” in subsecs. (a) and (b). 1978—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–473 substituted “
Enforcement
actions and actions to collect civil penalties under subtitle IV of title 49” for “actions under section 20 of the Act of
February 4, 1887, as amended (24 Stat. 386; 49 U.S.C. 20), section 23 of the Act of
May 16, 1942, as amended (56 Stat. 301; 49 U.S.C. 23), and section 3 of the Act of
February 19, 1903, as amended (32 Stat. 848; 49 U.S.C. 43)”. 1975—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–584 designated existing provisions as subsecs. (b) and (c) and added subsec. (a). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–584 designated existing first par. as subsec. (b) and substituted “in whole or in part, any order of the Interstate Commerce Commission other than for”, for “suspend, enjoin, annual or set aside in whole or in part any order of the Interstate Commerce Commission other than for the”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 93–584 designated existing second par. as subsec. (c), substituted reference to subsec. (b) of this section for reference to this section, and inserted references to the dates of enactment, statute citations and code references of section 20, 23 and 43 of Title 49. 1949—Act
May 24, 1949, substituted “20, 23, and 43” for “20, 43, and 49” in second par.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1995 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–88 effective Jan. 1, 1996, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1301 of Title 49, Transportation.
Effective Date
of 1975 Amendment Pub. L. 93–584, § 10, Jan. 2, 1975, 88 Stat. 1918, provided that: “This Act [amending this section, section 1336, 1398, 2323, 2341, and 2342 of this title, and section 305 of former Title 49, Transportation, and repealing section 2324 and 2325 of this title] shall not apply to any action commenced on or before the last day of the first month beginning after the date of enactment [Jan. 2, 1975]. However, actions to enjoin or suspend orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission which are pending when this Act becomes effective shall not be affected thereby, but shall proceed to final disposition under the law existing on the date they were commenced.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
28 U.S.C. § 2321
Title 28 — Judiciary and Judicial Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73