THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY CLYMER, CREIGHTON, FAIRCHILD, GRELL, GROVE, KAUFFMAN, McILVAINE SMITH, REICHLEY, ROHRER, ROSS, SCAVELLO, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, STERN, VULAKOVICH AND WATSON, MARCH 26, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, MARCH 26, 2009  

A SUPPLEMENT

To the act of June 12, 1931 (P.L.575, No.200), entitled "An act

providing for joint action by Pennsylvania and New Jersey in

the development of the ports on the lower Delaware River, and

the improvement of the facilities for transportation across

the river; authorizing the Governor, for these purposes, to

enter into an agreement with New Jersey; creating The

Delaware River Joint Commission and specifying the powers and

duties thereof, including the power to finance projects by

the issuance of revenue bonds; transferring to the new

commission all the powers of the Delaware River Bridge Joint

Commission; and making an appropriation," prohibiting certain

types of expenditures.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  The Governor is hereby authorized to enter into a

supplemental compact or agreement, on behalf of the Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania, with the State of New Jersey, further amending

and supplementing the compact or agreement between the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey

entitled "Agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and

the State of New Jersey creating The Delaware River Joint

Commission as a body corporate and politic and defining its

powers and duties," which was executed on behalf of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by its Governor on July first, one

thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and on behalf of the State

of New Jersey by the New Jersey Interstate Bridge Commission by

its members on July first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-

one, and which was consented to by the Congress of the United

States by Public Resolution Number twenty-six, being chapter two

hundred fifty-eight of the Public Laws, Seventy-second Congress,

approved June fourteenth, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-

two, which supplemental compact and agreement shall be in

substantially the following form:

"Supplemental agreement between the Commonwealth of

Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey further amending and

supplementing the agreement entitled 'Agreement between the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey

creating The Delaware River Joint Commission as a body corporate

and politic and defining its powers and duties,' authorizing the

acquisition or construction of railroads and other facilities

and further providing for the appointment of commissioners and

for the powers and duties of the commission.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey

do hereby solemnly covenant and agree, each with the other that

the compact or agreement entitled 'Agreement between the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey

creating The Delaware River Joint Commission as a body corporate

and politic and defining its powers and duties,' which was

executed on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by its

Governor on July first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-

one, and on behalf of the State of New Jersey by the New Jersey

Interstate Bridge Commission by its members on July first, one

thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and which was consented to

by the Congress of the United States by Public Resolution Number

twenty-six, being chapter two hundred fifty-eight of the Public

Laws, Seventy-second Congress, approved June fourteenth, one

thousand nine hundred and thirty-two, as heretofore amended and

supplemented, is amended by adding an article to read:

ARTICLE XII-C

Notwithstanding any other provision of this compact or

agreement, the commission shall be prohibited from using revenue

received from tolls and the PATCO line for economic development

projects that do not pertain to maintenance of bridges, roads

and rail lines under the jurisdiction of the commission."

Section 2.  The Governor is hereby authorized to apply, on

behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to the Congress of

the United States for its consent and approval to the aforesaid

supplemental compact or agreement; but, in the absence of such

consent and approval, the commission referred to in such

supplemental compact or agreement shall have all of the powers

which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New

Jersey may confer upon it without the consent and approval of

Congress.

Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately; but the

Governor shall not enter into any supplemental compact or

agreement hereunder until the State of New Jersey shall have

passed a substantially similar act embodying the agreement

between the two states herein set forth.