PRINTER'S NO. 2865
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
649
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY EMRICK, R. BROWN, DUSH, FREEMAN, GILLEN, HAHN,
IRVIN, KEEFER, LAWRENCE, MACKENZIE, MILLARD, B. MILLER, MOUL,
PEIFER, RYAN AND WARD, JANUARY 8, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JANUARY 8, 2018
A SUPPLEMENT
To the act of June 25, 1931 (P.L.1352, No.332), entitled "An act
providing for joint action by the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey in the
administration, operation, and maintenance of bridges over
the Delaware River, and for the construction of additional
bridge facilities across said river; authorizing the
Governor, for these purposes, to enter into an agreement with
the State of New Jersey; creating a Delaware River Joint Toll
Bridge Commission and specifying the powers and duties
thereof, including the power to finance the construction of
additional bridges by the issuance of revenue bonds to be
redeemed from revenues derived from tolls collected at such
bridges; transferring to said commission all powers now
exercised by existing commission created to acquire toll
bridges over the Delaware River; and making an
appropriation," providing the Governor of each state with
power to ratify or veto certain actions taken by
commissioners.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Action by Governor to ratify or veto commissioner
action.
(a) Delivery of minutes to Governor.--The minutes of every
meeting of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission
shall, as soon as possible after the meeting, be delivered by
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and under the certification of the secretary of the commission
to the Governor.
(b) Ratification or veto.--No action taken by a Pennsylvania
commissioner at the meeting shall have force or effect for a
period of 10 days, except Saturdays, Sundays and Commonwealth
public holidays, after the minutes have been delivered to the
Governor under this subsection, unless the Governor approves the
minutes, or any part of the minutes, in writing, by reciting the
action approved, within the 10-day period. This veto power shall
not be construed to affect the covenants contained in the bonds
of the commission.
(c) Governor to return minutes.--
(1) The Governor shall return the minutes to the
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission not later than
the 10-day period prescribed in subsection (b), either with
or without a veto of any action recited in the minutes to
have been taken by a commissioner appointed from
Pennsylvania.
(2) If the Governor does not return the minutes within
the 10-day period, the action taken by the Pennsylvania
commissioners shall have the force and effect as recited in
the minutes, according to the wording of the minutes. If the
Governor, within the 10-day period prescribed in subsection
(b), returns the minutes of the Delaware River Joint Toll
Bridge Commission with a veto against the action of that
commissioner from Pennsylvania, the action of that
commissioner shall be null and void and of no effect.
(d) Public information.--The commission shall designate an
individual who shall be responsible for responding to requests
from the public and the news media for information concerning
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the scheduling, attendance and minutes of board meetings.
Section 2. The Governor shall not enter into a supplemental
compact or agreement on behalf of the Commonwealth until passage
by the State of New Jersey of a substantially similar act,
embodying a supplemental compact or agreement between the two
states. The Governor shall publish his execution of the
supplemental compact or agreement as a notice in the
Pennsylvania Bulletin.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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