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(B) implements the joint assistance pro-
gram in the public interest; 
(C) accurately represents its financial inter-
ests in providing household goods mover services 
in the normal course of business and in assisting 
consumers resolving hostage situations; 
(D) does not hold itself out or misrepresent 
itself as an agent of the Federal government; 
(E) abides by Federal regulations and 
guidelines for the provision of assistance and re-
ceipt of compensation for household goods mover 
services; and 
(F) accurately represents the Federal and 
State remedies that are available to consumers 
for resolving interstate household goods hostage 
situations. 
(c) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit a report an-
nually to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate and the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
providing a detailed description of the joint assistance pro-
gram under subsection (a). 
(d) PROHIBITION.—The joint assistance program 
under subsection (a) may not include the provision of funds
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by the United States to a consumer for lost, stolen, or dam-
aged items. 
SEC. 32925. HOUSEHOLD GOODS CONSUMER EDUCATION 
PROGRAM. 
(a) TASK FORCE.—The Secretary of Transportation 
shall establish a task force to develop recommendations to 
ensure that a consumer is informed of Federal law con-
cerning the transportation of household goods by a motor 
carrier, including recommendations— 
(1) on how to condense publication ESA 03005 
of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 
into a format that can be more easily used by a con-
sumer; and 
(2) on the use of state-of-the-art education tech-
niques and technologies, including the use of the 
Internet as an educational tool. 
(b) TASK FORCE MEMBERS.—The task force shall be 
comprised of— 
(1) individuals with expertise in consumer af-
fairs; 
(2) educators with expertise in how people learn 
most effectively; and 
(3) representatives of the household goods moving 
industry.
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(c) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the task force shall com-
plete its recommendations under subsection (a). Not later 
than 1 year after the task force completes its recommenda-
tions under subsection (a), the Secretary shall issue regula-
tions implementing the recommendations, as appropriate. 
(d) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT EXEMP-
TION.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 
App.) shall not apply to the task force. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The task force shall terminate 2 
years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
PART III—TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS 
SEC. 32931. UPDATE OF OBSOLETE TEXT. 
(a) Section 31137(e), as redesignated by section 32301 
of this Act, is amended by striking ‘‘Not later than Decem-
ber 1, 1990, the Secretary shall prescribe’’ and inserting 
‘‘The Secretary shall maintain’’. 
(b) Section 31151(a) is amended— 
(1) by amending paragraph (1) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation shall maintain a program to ensure that inter-
modal equipment used to transport intermodal con-
tainers is safe and systematically maintained.’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (4).
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(c) Section 31307(b) is amended by striking ‘‘Not later 
than December 18, 1994, the Secretary shall prescribe’’ and 
inserting ‘‘The Secretary shall maintain’’. 
(d) Section 31310(g)(1) is amended by striking ‘‘Not 
later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’. 
(e) Section 4123(f) of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, 
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 
(119 Stat. 1736), is amended by striking ‘‘Not later than 
1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the’’ and 
inserting ‘‘The’’. 
SEC. 32932. CORRECTION OF INTERSTATE COMMERCE COM-
MISSION REFERENCES. 
(a) SAFETY INFORMATION
AND INTERVENTION
IN 
INTERSTATE
COMMERCE
COMMISSION
PROCEEDINGS.— 
Chapter 3 is amended— 
(1) by repealing section 307; 
(2) in the analysis, by striking the item relating 
to section 307; 
(3) in section 333(d)(1)(C), by striking ‘‘Inter-
state Commerce Commission’’ and inserting ‘‘Surface 
Transportation Board’’; and 
(4) in section 333(e)—
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(A) by striking ‘‘Interstate Commerce Com-
mission’’ and inserting ‘‘Surface Transportation 
Board’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Commission’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Board’’. 
(b) FILING AND PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION TO 
ABANDON
OR
DISCONTINUE.—Section 10903(b)(2) is 
amended by striking ‘‘24706(c) of this title’’ and inserting 
‘‘24706(c) of this title before May 31, 1998’’. 
(c) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS TO PART C OF SUB-
TITLE V.— 
(1) Section 24307(b)(3) is amended by striking 
‘‘Interstate Commerce Commission’’ and inserting 
‘‘Surface Transportation Board’’. 
(2) Section 24311 is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Interstate Commerce Com-
mission’’ and inserting ‘‘Surface Transportation 
Board’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘Commission’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘Board’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘Commission’s’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Board’s’’. 
(3) Section 24902 is amended—
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(A) by striking ‘‘Interstate Commerce Com-
mission’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘Surface Transportation Board’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Commission’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘Board’’. 
(4) Section 24904 is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Interstate Commerce Com-
mission’’ and inserting ‘‘Surface Transportation 
Board’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘Commission’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘Board’’. 
SEC. 32933. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) Section 13905(f)(1)(A) is amended by striking 
‘‘section 13904(c)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 13904(e)’’; 
(b) Section 14504a(c)(1) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘sections’’ 
and inserting ‘‘section’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (D)(ii)(II) by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’. 
(c) Section 31103(a) is amended by striking ‘‘section 
31102(b)(1)(E)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 31102(b)(2)(E)’’. 
(d) Section 31103(b) is amended by striking ‘‘author-
ized by section 31104(f)(2)’’. 
(e) Section 31309(b)(2) is amended by striking 
‘‘31308(2)’’ and inserting ‘‘31308(3)’’.
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TITLE III—SURFACE TRANSPOR-
TATION AND FREIGHT POLICY 
ACT OF 2012 
SEC. 33001. SHORT TITLE. 
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Surface Transportation 
and Freight Policy Act of 2012’’. 
SEC. 33002. ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL SURFACE 
TRANSPORTATION AND FREIGHT POLICY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 3 of title 
49, United States Code, as amended by section 32932 of 
the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act of 
2012, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 304 through 306 as 
sections 307 through 309, respectively; 
(2) by redesignating sections 308 and 309 as sec-
tions 310 and 311, respectively; 
(3) by redesignating sections 303 and 303a as 
sections 305 and 306, respectively; and 
(4) by inserting after section 302 the following: 
‘‘§ 303. National surface transportation policy 
‘‘(a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 
develop a comprehensive national surface transportation 
system that advances the national interest and defense, 
interstate and foreign commerce, the efficient and safe inter-
state mobility of people and goods, and the protection of
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routes that are not more than 750 miles be-
tween end points, including by entering 
into agreements for the funding, financing, 
procurement, 
remanufacture, 
ownership, 
and disposal of the intercity passenger rail 
rolling stock and equipment; 
‘‘(ii) maintain, manage, and allocate 
intercity passenger rail rolling stock and 
equipment for use in State-supported cor-
ridor services, including by charging appro-
priate amounts for the use (including depre-
ciation and financing costs) of the intercity 
passenger rail rolling stock and equipment; 
and 
‘‘(iii) ensure adequate quantity and 
quality of appropriate intercity passenger 
rail rolling stock and equipment to support 
the State-supported corridor services’ needs 
as identified in the national rail plan, re-
gional rail plans, or State rail plans under 
chapter 227. 
‘‘(3) TRANSFER OF EQUIPMENT.—Amtrak, after 
consultation with the Secretary, may sell, lease, or 
otherwise transfer equipment currently owned or 
leased by Amtrak to the equipment pooling entity.