§ 1. The Governor is hereby authorized and directed to execute, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a compact with the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland, which compact shall be in form substantially as follows: (1958, c. 627)

Terms Used In Virginia Code 33.2-3000

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Civil forfeiture: The loss of ownership of property used to conduct illegal activity.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Chapter 42. See Virginia Code 1-257
  • Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Maintenance: means (i) ordinary maintenance; (ii) maintenance replacement; (iii) operations that include traffic signal synchronization, incident management, and other intelligent transportation system functions; and (iv) any other categories of maintenance that may be designated by the Commissioner of Highways. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
  • Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
  • Personal representative: includes the executor of a will or the administrator of the estate of a decedent, the administrator of such estate with the will annexed, the administrator of such estate unadministered by a former representative, whether there is a will or not, any person who is under the order of a circuit court to take into his possession the estate of a decedent for administration, and every other curator of a decedent's estate, for or against whom suits may be brought for causes of action that accrued to or against the decedent. See Virginia Code 1-234
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
  • State: includes District of Columbia;

    (f) "Transit facilities" means all real and personal property located in the Zone, necessary or useful in rendering transit service between points within the Zone, by means of rail, bus, water or air and any other mode of travel, including, without limitation, tracks, rights-of-way, bridges, tunnels, subways, rolling stock for rail, motor vehicle, marine and air transportation, stations, terminals and ports, areas for parking and all equipment, fixtures, buildings and structures and services incidental to or required in connection with the performance of transit service;

    (g) "Transit services" means the transportation of persons and their packages and baggage by means of transit facilities between points within the Zone including the transportation of newspapers, express and mail between such points, and charter service which originates within the Zone but does not include taxicab service or individual-ticket-sales sightseeing operations;

    (h) "Transit Zone" or "Zone" means the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Zone created and described in Section 3 as well as any additional area that may be added pursuant to Section 83(a) of this Compact; and

    (i) "WMATC" means Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission. See Virginia Code 33.2-3100

  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Supreme Court: means the Supreme Court of Virginia. See Virginia Code 1-249
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255

§ 2. (1958, c. 627; repealed 1988, c. 890)

§ 2.1. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.–Whereas, the Commonwealth of Virginia (Chapter 627 of Title II of this Act which affect operations or matters solely intrastate or solely within the District of Columbia may not be effective unless the Commissioner from the affected signatory concurs.

3. Two members of the Commission are a quorum.

4. The Commission may delegate by regulation the tasks that it considers appropriate.

Article VI.

This Compact does not amend, alter, or affect the power of the signatories and their political subdivisions to levy and collect taxes on the property or income of any person or company subject to this Act or upon any material, equipment, or supplies purchased by that person or company or to levy, assess, and collect franchise or other similar taxes, or fees for the licensing of vehicles and their operation.

Article VII.

This amended Compact shall become effective ninety days after the signatories adopt it.

Article VIII.

1. (A) This Compact may be amended from time to time without the prior consent or approval of the Congress of the United States and any amendment shall be effective unless, within one year, the Congress disapproves that amendment.

(B) An amendment may not be effective unless adopted by each of the signatories.

2. (A) A signatory may withdraw from the Compact upon written notice to the other signatories.

(B) In the event of a withdrawal, the Compact shall be terminated at the end of the Commission’s next full fiscal year following the notice.

3. Upon the termination of this Compact, the jurisdiction over the matters and persons covered by this Act shall revert to the signatories and the federal government, as their interests may appear, and the applicable laws of the signatories and the federal government shall be reactivated without further legislation.

Article IX.

Each of the signatories pledges to each of the other signatories faithful cooperation in the regulation of passenger transportation within the Metropolitan District and agrees to enact any necessary legislation to achieve the objectives of the Compact for the mutual benefit of the citizens living in the Metropolitan District.

Article X.

1. If a provision of this Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid in a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or any other application of this Act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and for this purpose the provisions of this Act are declared severable.

2. In accordance with the ordinary rules for construction of interstate compacts, this Act shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.

TITLE II. COMPACT REGULATORY PROVISIONS.

Article XI.

1. This Act shall apply to the transportation for hire by any carrier of persons between any points in the Metropolitan District, including but not limited to:

(A) As to interstate and foreign commerce, transportation performed over a regular route between a point in the Metropolitan District and a point outside the Metropolitan District if:

(I) The majority of passengers transported over that regular route are transported between points within the Metropolitan District; and

(II) That regular route is authorized by a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission; and

(B) The rates, charges, regulations, and minimum insurance requirements for taxicabs and other vehicles that perform a bona fide taxicab service, where the taxicab or other vehicle:

(I) has a seating capacity of nine persons or less, including the driver; and

(II) provides transportation from one signatory to another within the Metropolitan District.

2. Solely for the purposes of this section and Section 18 of this Article:

(A) The Metropolitan District shall include that portion of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, occupied by the Baltimore-Washington International Airport; and

(B) Jurisdiction of the Commission shall apply to taxicab rates, charges, regulations, and minimum insurance requirements for interstate transportation between the Baltimore-Washington International Airport and other points in the Metropolitan District, unless conducted by a taxicab licensed by the state of Maryland or a political subdivision of the state of Maryland, or operated under a contract with the state of Maryland.

3. Excluded from the application of this Act are:

(A) Transportation by water, air, or rail;

(B) Transportation performed by the federal government, the signatories to this Compact, or any political subdivision of the signatories;

(C) Transportation performed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority;

(D) Transportation by a motor vehicle employed solely in transporting teachers and school children through grade 12 to or from public or private schools;

(E) Transportation performed over a regular route between a point in the Metropolitan District and a point outside the Metropolitan District, including transportation between those points on the regular route that are within the Metropolitan District, if:

(I) the majority of passengers transported over the regular route are not transported between points in the Metropolitan District; and

(II) the regular route is authorized by a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Interstate Commerce Commission;

(F) Matters other than rates, charges, regulations, and minimum insurance requirements relating to vehicles and operations described in sections 1(B) and 2 of this article;

(G) Transportation solely within the Commonwealth of Virginia and the activities of persons performing that transportation; and

(H) The exercise of any power or the discharge of any duty conferred or imposed upon the State Corporation Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia by the Virginia Constitution.

Definitions.

4. In this Act the following words have the meanings indicated.

(A) “Carrier” means a person who engages in the transportation of passengers by motor vehicle or other form or means of conveyance for hire.

(B) “Motor vehicle” means an automobile, bus, or other vehicle propelled or drawn by mechanical or electrical power on the public streets or highways of the Metropolitan District and used for the transportation of passengers.

(C) “Person” means an individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, company, association or joint stock association, and includes a trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative of them.

(D) “Taxicab” means a motor vehicle for hire (other than a vehicle operated under a certificate of Authority issued by the Commission) having a seating capacity of nine persons or less, including the driver, used to accept or solicit passengers along the public streets for transportation.

General Duties of Carriers.

5. Each authorized carrier shall:

(A) Provide safe and adequate transportation service, equipment, and facilities; and

(B) Observe and enforce Commission regulations established under this Act.

Certificates of Authority.

6. (A) A person may not engage in transportation subject to this Act unless there is in force a “certificate of Authority” issued by the Commission authorizing the person to engage in that transportation.

(B) On the effective date of this Act a person engaged in transportation subject to this Act under an existing “certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity” or order issued by the Commission shall be issued a new “certificate of Authority” within 120 days after the effective date of this amendment.

(C) (I) Pending issuance of the new certificate of Authority, the continuance of operations shall be permitted under an existing certificate or order issued by the Commission which will continue in effect on the effective date of this Act.

(II) The operations described in paragraph (I) of this subsection shall be performed according to the rates, regulations, and practices of the certificate holder on file with the Commission on the effective date of this Act.

7. (A) When an application is made under this section for a certificate of Authority, the Commission shall issue a certificate to any qualified applicant, authorizing all or any part of the transportation covered by the application, if it finds that:

(I) The applicant is fit, willing, and able to perform that transportation properly, conform to the provisions of this Act, and conform to the rules, regulations and requirements of the Commission; and

(II) That the transportation is consistent with the public interest.

(B) If the Commission finds that the requirements of subsection (A) of this section have not been met, the application shall be denied by the Commission.

(C) The Commission shall act upon applications under this Act as soon as possible.

(D) The Commission may attach to the issuance of a certificate and to the exercise of the rights granted under it any term, condition, or limitation that is consistent with the public interest.

(E) A term, condition, or limitation imposed by the Commission may not restrict the right of a carrier to add to equipment and facilities over the routes or within the territory specified in the certificate, as business development and public demand may require.

(F) A person applying for or holding a certificate of Authority shall comply with Commission regulations regarding maintenance of a surety bond, insurance policy, self-insurance qualification, or other security or agreement in an amount that the Commission may require to pay any final judgment against a carrier for bodily injury or death of a person, or for loss or damage to property of another, resulting from the operation, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle or other equipment in performing transportation subject to this Act.

(G) A certificate of Authority is not valid unless the holder is in compliance with the insurance requirements of the Commission.

8. Application to the Commission for a certificate under this Act shall be:

(A) Made in writing;

(B) Verified; and

(C) In the form and with the information that the Commission regulations require.

9. (A) A certificate of Authority issued by the Commission shall specify the route over which a regularly scheduled commuter service or other regular-route service will operate.

(B) A certificate issued by the Commission authorizing irregular-route service shall be coextensive with the Metropolitan District.

(C) A carrier subject to this Act may not provide any passenger transportation for hire on an individual fare paying basis in competition with an existing, scheduled, regular-route, passenger transportation service performed by, or under a contract with, the federal government, a signatory to the Compact, a political subdivision of a signatory, or the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, notwithstanding any “Certificate of Authority.”

(D) A certificate for the transportation of passengers may include authority to transport newspapers, passenger baggage, express, or mail in the same vehicle, or to transport passenger baggage in a separate vehicle.

10. (A) Certificates shall be effective from the date specified on them and shall remain in effect until amended, suspended, or terminated.

(B) Upon application by the holder of a certificate, the Commission may suspend, amend, or terminate the Certificate of Authority.

(C) Upon complaint or the Commission’s own initiative, the Commission, after notice and hearing, may suspend or revoke all or part of any Certificate of Authority for willful failure to comply with:

(I) A provision of this Act;

(II) An order, rule, or regulation of the Commission; or

(III) A term, condition, or limitation of the certificate.

(D) The Commission may direct that a carrier cease an operation conducted under a certificate if the Commission finds the operation, after notice and hearing, to be inconsistent with the public interest.

11. (A) A person may not transfer a Certificate of Authority unless the Commission approves the transfer as consistent with the public interest.

(B) A person other than the person to whom an operating authority is issued by the Commission may not lease, rent, or otherwise use that operating authority.

12. (A) A carrier may not abandon any scheduled commuter service operated under a Certificate of Authority issued to the carrier under this Act, unless the Commission authorizes the carrier to do so by a Commission order.

(B) Upon application by a carrier, the Commission shall issue an order, after notice and hearing, if it finds that abandonment of the route is consistent with the public interest.

(C) The Commission, by regulation or otherwise, may authorize the temporary suspension of a route if it is consistent with the public interest.

(D) As long as the carrier has an opportunity to earn a reasonable return in all its operations, the fact that a carrier is operating a service at a loss will not, of itself, determine the question of whether abandonment of service is consistent with the public interest.

13. (A) When the Commission finds that there is an immediate need for service that is not available, the Commission may grant temporary authority for that service without a hearing or other proceeding up to a maximum of 180 consecutive days, unless suspended or revoked for good cause.

(B) A grant of temporary authority does not create any presumption that permanent authority will be granted at a later date.

Rates and Tariffs.

14. (A) Each carrier shall file with the Commission, publish, and keep available for public inspection tariffs showing:

(I) Fixed-rates and fixed-fares for transportation subject to this Act; and

(II) Practices and regulations, including those affecting rates and fares, required by the Commission.

(B) Each effective tariff shall:

(I) Remain in effect for at least 60 days from its effective date, unless the Commission orders otherwise; and

(II) Be published and kept available for public inspection in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission.

(C) A carrier may not charge a rate or fare for transportation subject to this Act other than the applicable rate or fare specified in a tariff filed by the carrier under this Act and in effect at the time.

15. (A) A carrier proposing to change a rate, fare, regulation, or practice specified in an effective tariff shall file a tariff showing the change in the form and manner, and with the information, justification, notice, and supporting material prescribed by the Commission.

(B) Each tariff filed under subsection (A) of this section shall state a date on which the tariff shall take effect, which shall be at least seven calendar days after the date on which the tariff is filed, unless the Commission orders an earlier effective date or rejects the tariff.

(C) (I) A tariff filed for approval with the Commission may be refused acceptance for filing if it is not consistent with this Act and Commission regulations; and

(II) A tariff refused for filing shall be void.

16. (A) The Commission may hold a hearing upon complaint or upon the Commission’s own initiative after reasonable notice to determine whether a rate, fare, regulation, or practice relating to a tariff is unjust, unreasonable, unduly discriminatory, or unduly preferential between classes of riders or between locations within the Metropolitan District.

(B) Within 120 days of the hearing, the Commission shall pass an order prescribing the lawful rate, fare, regulation, or practice, or affirming the tariff.

Through Routes, Joint Fares.

17. With the approval of the Commission, any carrier subject to this Act may establish through routes and joint fares with any other lawfully authorized carrier.

Taxicab Fares.

18. (A) the Commission shall prescribe reasonable rates for transportation by taxicab, only when:

(I) The trip is between a point in the jurisdiction of one signatory and a point in the jurisdiction of another signatory; and

(II) Both points are within the Metropolitan District.

(B) The fare or charge for taxicab transportation may be calculated on a mileage basis, a zone basis, or on any other basis approved by the Commission.

(C) The Commission may not require the installation of a taximeter in any taxicab when a taximeter is not permitted or required by the jurisdiction licensing and otherwise regulating the operation and service of the taxicab.

(D) A person licensed by a signatory to own or operate a taxicab shall comply with Commission regulations regarding maintenance of a surety bond, insurance policy, self-insurance qualification, or other security or agreement in an amount that the Commission may require to pay a final judgment for bodily injury or death of a person, or for loss or damage to property of another, resulting from the operation, maintenance, or use of a taxicab in performing transportation subject to this Act.

Article XII.

Accounts, Records, and Reports.

1. (A) The Commission may prescribe that any carrier subject to this Act:

(I) Submit special reports and annual or other periodic reports;

(II) Make reports in a form and manner required by the Commission;

(III) Provide a detailed answer to any question about which the Commission requires information;

(IV) Submit reports and answers under oath; and

(V) Keep accounts, records, and memoranda of its activity, including movement of traffic and receipt and expenditure of money in a form and for a period required by the Commission.

(B) The Commission shall have access at all times to the accounts, records, memoranda, lands, buildings, and equipment of any carrier for inspection purposes.

(C) This section shall apply to any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with a carrier subject to this Act, whether or not that person otherwise is subject to this Act.

(D) A carrier that has its principal office outside of the Metropolitan District J operates both inside and outside of the Metropolitan District may keep all accounts, records, and memoranda at its principal office, but the carrier shall produce those materials before the Commission when directed by the Commission.

(E) This section does not relieve a carrier from recordkeeping or reporting obligations imposed by a state or federal agency or regulatory commission for transportation service rendered outside the Metropolitan District.

Issuance of Securities.

2. This Act does not impair any authority of the federal government and the signatories to regulate the issuance of securities by a carrier.

Consolidations, Mergers, and Acquisition of Control.

3. (A) A carrier or any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with a carrier shall obtain Commission approval to;

(I) Consolidate or merge any part of the ownership, management, or operation of its property or franchise with a carrier that operates in the Metropolitan District;

(II) Purchase, lease, or contract to operate a substantial part of the property or franchise of another carrier that operates in the Metropolitan District; or

(III) Acquire control of another carrier that operates in the Metropolitan District through ownership of its stock or other means.

(B) Application for Commission approval of a transaction under this section shall be made in the form and with the information that the regulations of the Commission require.

(C) If the Commission finds, after notice and hearing, that the proposed transaction is consistent with the public interest, the Commission shall pass an order authorizing the transaction.

(D) Pending determination of an application filed under this section, the Commission may grant “temporary approval” without a hearing or other proceeding up to a maximum of 180 consecutive days if the Commission determines that grant to be consistent with the public interest.

Article XIII.

Investigations by the Commission and Complaints.

1. (A) A person may file a written complaint with the Commission regarding anything done or omitted by a person in violation of a provision of this Act, or in violation of a requirement established under it.

(B) (I) If the respondent does not satisfy the complaint and the facts suggest that there are reasonable grounds for an investigation, the Commission shall investigate the matter.

(II) If the Commission determines that a complaint does not state facts which warrant action, the Commission may dismiss the complaint without hearing.

(III) The Commission shall notify a respondent that a complaint has been filed at least ten days before a hearing is set on the complaint.

(C) The Commission may investigate on its own motion a fact, condition, practice, or matter to;

(I) Determine whether a person has violated or will violate a provision of this Act or a rule, regulation, or order;

(II) Enforce the provisions of this Act or prescribe or enforce rules or regulations under it; or

(III) Obtain information to recommend further legislation.

(D) If, after hearing, the Commission finds that a respondent has violated a provision of this Act or any requirement established under it, the Commission shall;

(I) Issue an order to compel the respondent to comply with this Act; and

(II) Effect other just and reasonable relief.

(E) For the purpose of an investigation or other proceeding under this Act, the Commission may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, agreements, or other records or evidence which the Commission considers relevant to the inquiry.

Hearings; Rules of Procedure.

2. (A) Hearings under this Act shall be held before the Commission, and records shall be kept.

(B) Rules of practice and procedure adopted by the Commission shall govern all hearings, investigations, and proceedings under this Act, but the Commission may apply the technical rules of evidence when appropriate.

Administrative powers of Commission; Rules, Regulations, and Orders.

3. (A) The Commission shall perform any act, and prescribe, issue, make, amend, or rescind any order, rule, or regulation that it finds necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

(B) The rules and regulations of the Commission shall prescribe the form of any statement, declaration, application, or report filed with the Commission, the information it shall contain, and the time of filing.

(C) The rules and regulations of the Commission shall be effective thirty days after publication in the manner which the Commission shall prescribe, unless a different date is specified.

(D) Orders of the Commission shall be effective on the date and in the manner which the Commission shall prescribe.

(E) For the purposes of its rules and regulations, the Commission may classify persons and matters within its jurisdiction and prescribe different requirements for them.

(F) Commission rules and regulations shall be available for public inspection during reasonable business hours.

Reconsideration of Orders.

4. (A) A party to a proceeding affected by a final order or decision of the Commission may file within thirty days of its publication a written application requesting Commission reconsideration of the matter involved, and stating specifically the errors claimed as grounds for the reconsideration.

(B) The Commission shall grant or deny the application within thirty days after it has been filed.

(C) If the Commission does not grant or deny the application by order within thirty days, the application shall be deemed denied.

(D) If the application is granted, the Commission shall rescind, modify, or affirm its order or decision with or without a hearing, after giving notice to all parties.

(E) Filing an application for reconsideration may not act as a stay upon the execution of a Commission order or decision, or any part of it unless the Commission orders otherwise.

(F) An appeal may not be taken from an order or decision of the Commission until an application for reconsideration has been filed and determined.

(G) Only an error specified as a ground for reconsideration may be used as a ground for judicial review.

Judicial Review.

5. (A) Any party to a proceeding under this Act may obtain a review of the Commission’s order in the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, or in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, by filing within sixty days after Commission determination of an application for reconsideration, a written petition praying that the order of the Commission be modified or set aside.

(B) A copy of the petition shall be delivered to the office of the Commission and the Commission shall certify and file with the court a transcript of the record upon which the Commission order was entered.

(C) The court shall have exclusive jurisdiction to affirm, modify, remand for reconsideration, or set aside the Commission’s order.

(D) The court’s judgment shall be final, subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certiorari or certification as provided in Title 28 U.S.C. §§ 1254 and 2350.

(E) The commencement of proceedings under subsection (A) of this section may not operate as a stay of the Commission’s order unless specifically ordered by the court.

(F) The Commission and its members, officers, agents, employees, or representatives are not liable to suit or action or for any judgment or decree for damages, loss, or injury resulting from action taken under the Act, nor required in any case arising or any appeal taken under this Act to make a deposit, pay costs, or pay for service to the clerks of a court or to the marshal of the United States or give a supersedeas bond or security for damages.

Enforcement of Act; Penalty for Violations.

6. (A) Whenever the Commission determines that a person is engaged or will engage in an act or practice which violates a provision of this Act or a rule, regulation, or order under it, the Commission may bring an action in the United States District Court in the district in which the person resides or conducts business or in which the violation occurred to enjoin the act or practice and to enforce compliance with this Act or a rule, regulation, or order under it.

(B) If the court makes a determination under subsection (A) of this section, that a person has violated or will violate this Act or a rule, regulation, or order under the Act, the court shall grant a permanent or temporary injunction or decree or restraining order without bond.

(C) Upon application of the Commission, the United States District Court for the district in which the person resides or conducts business, or in which the violation occurred, shall have jurisdiction to issue an order directing that person to comply with the provisions of this Act or a rule, regulation, or order of the Commission under it, and to effect other just and reasonable relief.

(D) The Commission may employ attorneys necessary for:

(I) The conduct of its work;

(II) Representation of the public interest in Commission investigations, cases or proceedings on the Commission’s own initiative or upon complaint; or

(III) Representation of the Commission in any court case.

(E) The expenses of employing an attorney shall be paid out of the funds of the Commission, unless otherwise directed by the court.

(F)(I) A person who knowingly and willfully violates a provision of this Act, or a rule, regulation, requirement, or order issued under it, or a term or condition of a certificate shall be subject to a civil forfeiture of not more than $1,000 for the first violation and not more than $5,000 for any subsequent violation.

(II) Each day of the violation shall constitute a separate violation.

(III) Civil forfeitures shall be paid to the Commission with interest as assessed by the court.

(IV) The Commission shall pay to each signatory a share of the civil forfeitures and interest equal to the proportional share of the Commission’s expenses borne by each signatory in the fiscal year during which the civil forfeiture is collected by the Commission.

Article XIV.

Expenses of Investigations and Other Proceedings.

1. (A) A carrier shall bear all expenses of an investigation or other proceeding conducted by the Commission concerning the carrier, and all litigation expenses, including appeals, arising from an investigation or other proceeding.

(B) When the Commission initiates an investigation or other proceeding, the Commission may require the carrier to pay to the Commission a sum estimated to cover the expenses that will be incurred under this section.

(C) Money paid by the carrier shall be deposited in the name and to the credit of the Commission, in any bank or other depository located in the Metropolitan District designated by the Commission, and the Commission may disburse that money to defray expenses of the investigation, proceeding, or litigation in question.

(D) The Commission shall return to the carrier any unexpended balance remaining after payment of expenses.

Applicability of Other Laws.

2. (A) The applicability of each law, rule, regulation, or order of a signatory relating to transportation subject to this Act shall be suspended on the effective date of this Act.

(B) The provisions of subsection (A) of this section do not apply to a law of a signatory relating to inspection of equipment and facilities.

(C) During the existence of the Compact, the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission is suspended to the extent it is in conflict with the provisions of this Act.

Existing Rules, Regulations, Orders, and Decisions.

3. All Commission rules, regulations, orders, or decisions that are in force on the effective date of this Act shall remain in effect and be enforceable under this Act, unless otherwise provided by the Commission.

Pending Actions or Proceedings.

4. A suit, action, or other judicial proceeding commenced prior to the effective date of this Act by or against the Commission is not affected by the enactment of this Act and shall be prosecuted and determined under the law applicable at the time the proceeding was commenced.

Annual Report of the Commission.

5. The Commission shall make an annual report for each fiscal year ending June 30, to the Governor of Virginia and the Governor of Maryland, and to the Mayor of the District of Columbia as soon as practicable after June 30, but no later than the first day of January of each year, which may contain, in addition to a report of the work performed under this Act, other information and recommendations concerning passenger transportation within the Metropolitan District as the Commission considers advisable.

1958, c. 627; 1988, c. 890; 2007, c. 378; 2009, c. 540, § 56-530; 2014, c. 805.