Hepburn Act Law and Legal Definition
The Hepburn Act (Act) is a railroad legislation. The Act authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) to set maximum railroad rates. The ICC was also authorized to view financial records of railroads and was under a duty to maintain the records in a standardized bookkeeping system.
The Act marinated railroad regulations. The Act also made ICC orders binding. Railroads could either obey or contest ICC orders before a federal court. The Act also dealt with personal discrimination. The Act restricted the granting of free passes and increased the number of commissioners of ICC from five to seven.
