---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 11703"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "11703"
heading: "Enforcement by the Attorney General"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/11703"
units:
  - "Subtitle IV — Interstate Transportation"
  - "Part A — Rail"
  - "Chapter 117 — Enforcement: Investigations, Rights, and Remedies"
---

# §11703. Enforcement by the Attorney General

- (a) The Attorney General may, and on request of the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1) shall, bring court proceedings to enforce this part, or a regulation or order of the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1) or certificate issued under this part, and to prosecute a [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) violating this part or a regulation or order of the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1) or certificate issued under this part.
- (b) The [United States](/usc/49/10102.md?p=10) Government may bring a civil action on behalf of a [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) to compel a [rail carrier](/usc/49/10102.md?p=5) providing [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) subject to the jurisdiction of the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1) under this part to provide that [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) to that [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18) in compliance with this part at the same [rate](/usc/49/10102.md?p=7) charged, or on conditions as favorable as those given by the [rail carrier](/usc/49/10102.md?p=5), for like traffic under similar conditions to another [person](/usc/49/13102.md?p=18).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–88, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 845.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 11703, Pub. L. 95–473, Oct. 17, 1978, 92 Stat. 1450, related to authority of Attorney General and United States Government to bring civil actions to enforce this subtitle, prior to the general amendment of this subtitle by Pub. L. 104–88, § 102(a). See sections 11703, 14703, and 15903 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1996, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 104–88, see section 2 of Pub. L. 104–88, set out as a note under section 1301 of this title.