---
kind: "section"
citation: "45 U.S.C. § 914"
title: "45"
title_heading: "Railroads"
number: "914"
heading: "Obligation guarantees"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/45/914"
units:
  - "Chapter 18 — Milwaukee Railroad Restructuring"
---

# §914. Obligation guarantees

- (a) **Authorization—** The [Secretary](/usc/45/1104.md?p=7) of Transportation, under the authority of [section 831 of this title](/usc/45/831.md), shall guarantee obligations of the [Milwaukee Railroad](/usc/45/902.md?p=5) for purposes of providing [employee](/usc/45/902.md?p=4) protection in accordance with the terms of the [employee](/usc/45/902.md?p=4) protection agreement entered into under [section 908 of this title](/usc/45/908.md). Guarantees under this section shall be entered into without regard to the requirements of subsection (g) of [section 831 of this title](/usc/45/831.md).
- (b) **Obligations as administrative expense—** Any obligation guaranteed pursuant to this section shall be treated as an administrative expense of the estate of the [Milwaukee Railroad](/usc/45/902.md?p=5).
- (c) **Limit on aggregate unpaid principal amount—** The aggregate unpaid principal amount of obligations which may be guaranteed by the [Secretary](/usc/45/1104.md?p=7) pursuant to this section shall not exceed $75,000,000.
- (d) **Limit on total liability—** The total liability of the [Milwaukee Railroad](/usc/45/902.md?p=5) in connection with benefits and allowances provided under an [employee](/usc/45/902.md?p=4) protection agreement entered into under [section 908 of this title](/usc/45/908.md) shall not exceed $75,000,000.
- (e) **Liability of United States respecting section 908 agreements—** Except in connection with obligations guaranteed under this section, the United States shall incur no liability to [employees](/usc/45/902.md?p=4) in connection with any [employee](/usc/45/902.md?p=4) protection agreement entered into under [section 908 of this title](/usc/45/908.md).
- (f) **Applicability of section 22404 of title 49—** [Section 22404 of title 49](/usc/49/22404.md) shall not apply to any obligation guaranteed under this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–101, § 15, Nov. 4, 1979, 93 Stat. 743; Pub. L. 96–448, title VII, § 701(a)(3), Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1959; Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title I, § 21301(j)(3)(E), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 692.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 831 of this title, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 105–178, title VII, § 7203(a)(2), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 477, except for subsec. (c) of that section, which was renumbered and transferred to section 823(b) of this title by section 7203(a)(4) of Pub. L. 105–178. Section 823(b) of this title was subsequently repealed by Pub. L. 117–58, div. B, title I, § 21301(b)(1)(A), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 683.

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 117–58 substituted “Section 22404 of title 49” for “Section 836 of this title”.

1980—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 96–448 inserted “to employees” after “no liability”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–448 effective Oct. 14, 1980, see section 710(d) of Pub. L. 96–448, set out as a note under section 1170 of Title 11, Bankruptcy.