90 STAT. 62
PUBLIC LAW 94-210—FEB. 5, 1976 which may arise in connection with any proposed unification or coordination project. Persons attending or represented at any such conference shall not be liable under the antitrust laws of the United States with respect to any discussion at such conference and as to any agreements reached at such conference, which are entered into with the approval of the Secretary in order to achieve or determine a plan of action to implement any such unification or coordination project. "(e) Whenever any railroad submits a proposal for a merger or other action the approval of which is subject to the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission under section 5(2) of the Interstate Commerce Act (49 U.S.C. 5(2)), the Secretary may, if he has not already done so, conduct a study of such proposal in order to determine whether or not, in his judgment, such proposal is in accordance with the standards set forth in section 5(2)(c) of such Act (49 U.S.C. 5 (2)(c)). Whenever such proposal is the subject of an application and a proceeding before such Commission, the Secretary is authorized to appear before the Commission in any proceeding held with respect to such application.". MERGER PROCEDURE
SEC. 402. (a) Section 5(2)(f) of the Interstate Commerce Act (49 U.S.C. 5(2)(f)) is amended by inserting a new sentence immediately preceding the last sentence thereof as follows: "Such arrangement shall contain provisions no less protective of the interests of employees than those heretofore imposed pursuant to this subdivision and those established pursuant to section 405 of the Rail Passenger Service Act (45 U.S.a565).". (b) Section 5(2) of the Interstate Commerce Act (49 U.S.C. 5(2)) is amended by adding at the end thereof the following two new subdivisions: "(g) In any case arising under this paragraph which involves a common carrier by railroad, the Commission shall— Application. "(i) within 30 days after the date on which an application is filed with the Commission and after a certified copy of such appliPublication in cation is furnished to the Secretary of Tranportation, (A) publish Federal Register. notice thereof in the Federal Register, or (B) if such application is incomplete, reject such application by order, which order shall 49 USC 17. be deemed to be final under the provisions of section 17; Publication in "(ii) provide that written comments on an application, as to Federal Register. which such notice is published, may be filed within 45 days after the publication of such notice in the Federal Register; "(iii) require that copies of any such comments shall be served upon the Secretary of Transportation and the Attorney General, each of whom shall be afforded 15 days following the date of receipt thereof to inform the Commission whether he will intervene as a party to th« proceeding, and if so, to submit preliminary views on such application; " (iv) require that all other applications, which are inconsistent, in whole or in part, with such applications, and all petitions for inclusion in the transaction, shall be filed with the Commission and furnished to the Secretary of Transportation, within 90 days after the publication of notice of the application in the Federal Register; "(v) conclude any evidentiary proceedings within 240 days following the date of such publication of notice, except that in the case of an application involving the merger or control of two or more class I railroads, as defined by the Commission, the Com-
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