---
kind: "section"
citation: "45 U.S.C. § 797l"
title: "45"
title_heading: "Railroads"
number: "797l"
heading: "Class II railroads receiving Federal assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/45/797l"
units:
  - "Chapter 16 — Regional Rail Reorganization"
  - "Subchapter VII — Protection of Employees"
---

# §797l. Class II railroads receiving Federal assistance


The Surface Transportation Board shall impose no labor protection conditions in approving an application under [section 10902 of title 49](/usc/49/10902.md) when the application involves a Class II [rail carrier](/usc/45/1104.md?p=6) which—

- (1) is headquartered in a [State](/usc/45/702.md?p=19), and operates in at least one [State](/usc/45/702.md?p=19), with a population of less than 1,000,000 persons, as determined by the 1990 census; and
- (2) has, as of January 1, 1996, been a recipient of repayable Federal [Railroad](/usc/45/702.md?p=15) Administration assistance in excess of $5,000,000.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–236, title VII, § 713, as added Pub. L. 104–88, title III, § 327(5)(A), formerly § 327(5), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 952, renumbered Pub. L. 104–287, § 6(f)(4)(B), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3399.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 797l, Pub. L. 93–236, title VII, § 713, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title XI, § 1143(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 668, authorized appropriations to carry out activities for protection of employees of Consolidated Rail Corporation, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–509, title IV, § 4033(a)(2), Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1908.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of Title 49, Transportation.