The Surface Transportation Board shall impose no labor protection conditions in approving an application under section 10902 of title 49 when the application involves a Class II rail carrier which—
(1) is headquartered in a State, and operates in at least one State, with a population of less than 1,000,000 persons, as determined by the 1990 census; and
(2) has, as of January 1, 1996, been a recipient of repayable Federal Railroad Administration assistance in excess of $5,000,000.
(Pub. L. 93–236, title VII, § 713, as added Pub. L. 104–88, title III, § 327(5)(A), formerly § 327(5), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 952, renumbered Pub. L. 104–287, § 6(f)(4)(B), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3399.)