Summary: In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Interstate Commerce Commission's (ICC) activities since 1984 to strengthen its enforcement program.
GAO found that ICC has been responsive to 1984 GAO recommendations to: (1) establish enforcement goals and priorities; (2) give investigators greater flexibility in pursuing violations; and (3) restructure its enforcement data system. ICC enforcement data for 1985 indicate that ICC has given greater emphasis to high-priority enforcement areas, taken on a more active enforcement posture, and generated additional data for measuring enforcement results. With recent regulatory reforms calling for less federal intervention in the transportation marketplace, ICC enforcement policy has increasingly focused on encouraging compliance, rather than penalizing violators. In 1985, about 60 percent of ICC enforcement cases were concluded with consent agreements, under which violators agreed to cease their unlawful action. Although recent budget constraints have placed limits on ICC enforcement activities, ICC officials believe that enforcement efforts have been effective.
