49 U.S.C. § 507: Enforcement

an order of the Secretary under this chapter when violated by a rail carrier; and this chapter or a regulation or order of the Secretary under this chapter when violated by a motor carrier, motor carrier of migrant workers, motor private carrier, or freight forwarder. The Attorney General may, and on request of the Secretary shall, bring court proceedings to enforce this chapter or a regulation or order of the Secretary under this chapter and to prosecute a person violating this chapter or a regulation or order of the Secretary. The Attorney General, at the request of the Secretary, may bring an action in an appropriate district court of the United States for equitable relief to redress a violation by any person of a provision of subchapter III of chapter 311 (except sections 31138 and 31139) or section 31502 of this title , or an order or regulation issued under any of those provisions. Such district court shall have jurisdiction to determine any such action and may grant such relief as is necessary or appropriate, including mandatory or prohibitive injunctive relief, interim equitable relief, and punitive damages. A person injured because a rail carrier or freight forwarder does not obey an order of the Secretary under this chapter may bring a civil action to enforce that order under this subsection. trial is in the judicial district in which the carrier operates; process may be served without regard to the territorial limits of the district or of the State in which the action is brought; and a person participating with the carrier in a violation may be joined in the civil action without regard to the residence of the person. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this section [ June 9, 1998 ], the Secretary [of Transportation] shall assess the scope of the problem of shippers, freight forwarders, brokers, consignees, or other persons (other than rail carriers, motor carriers, motor carriers of migrant workers, or motor private carriers) encouraging violations of chapter 5 of title 49, United States Code, or a regulation or order issued by the Secretary under such chapter. After completion of the assessment under subsection (a), the Secretary may submit to the Congress a plan for implementing authority (if subsequently provided by law) to investigate and bring civil actions to enforce chapter 5 of title 49, United States Code, or regulations or orders issued by the Secretary under such chapter with respect to persons described in subsection (a). in what circumstances the Secretary would exercise the new authority; how the Secretary would determine that shippers, freight forwarders, brokers, consignees, or other persons committed violations described in subsection (a), including what types of evidence would be conclusive; what procedures would be necessary during investigations to ensure the confidentiality of shipper contract terms prior to the Secretary’s findings of violations; what impact the exercise of the new authority would have on the Secretary’s resources, including whether additional investigative or legal resources would be necessary and whether the staff would need specialized education or training to exercise properly such authority; to what extent the Secretary would conduct educational activities for persons who would be subject to the new authority; and any other information that would assist the Congress in determining whether to provide the Secretary the new authority.”