Interstate Commerce Commission

American  

noun

U.S. Government.

1. a board, consisting of seven members, that supervises and regulates all carriers, except airplanes, engaged in interstate commerce. I.C.C., ICC

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Interstate Commerce Commission ¹ Cultural  

1. A federal agency for regulating commerce that takes place in more than one state. One of its most familiar activities is regulation of trucking.

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Interstate Commerce Commission ² Cultural  

1. A federal agency that monitors the business operations of carriers transporting goods and people between states. Its jurisdiction includes railroads, ships, trucks, buses, oil pipelines, and their terminal facilities.

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The ICC was established in 1887 as the first federal agency.

Example Sentences

Since 1887, when the Interstate Commerce Commission was established to set railroad rates, Congress has created independent agencies with the aim of giving nonpartisan experts the authority to regulate in the public interest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

The bill is in the vein of legislation that established agencies to oversee fast-growing industries, much like how Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

From New York Times • Jul. 27, 2023

That November, buses were required to post signs saying, "Seating aboard this vehicle is without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin, by order of the Interstate Commerce Commission."

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2021

The Interstate Commerce Commission folded in 1995 with 400 employees, down from 2,000 during its heyday regulating interstate business in the 1970s.

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2019

With its enlarged powers the Interstate Commerce Commission made rapid headway against rebates and discrimination.

From The New Nation by Dodd, William E.