106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. J. RES. 54
JOINT RESOLUTION
Granting the consent of Congress to the Missouri-
Nebraska Boundary Compact.
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Missouri and the state of Nebraska for the entire distance
thereof as of the effective date of the compact without
interfering with or otherwise affecting private rights or ti-
tles to property, and the states of Nebraska and Missouri
declare that further compelling purposes of the compact
are—
‘‘(1) to create a friendly and harmonious inter-
state relationship;
‘‘(2) to avoid multiple exercise of sovereignty
and jurisdiction including matters of taxation, judi-
cial and police powers and exercise of administrative
authority;
‘‘(3) to encourage settlement and disposition of
pending litigation and criminal proceedings and
avoid or minimize future disputes and litigation;
‘‘(4) to promote economic and political stability;
‘‘(5) to encourage the optimum mutual bene-
ficial use of the Missouri River, its waters and its
facilities;
‘‘(6) to establish a forum for settlement of fu-
ture disputes;
‘‘(7) to place the boundary in a location which
can be identified or located; and
‘‘(8) to express the intent and policy of the
states that the common boundary be established
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within the confines of the Missouri River and both
states shall continue to have access to and use of the
waters of the river.
‘‘ARTICLE II
‘‘ESTABLISHMENT OF BOUNDARY
‘‘The permanent compromise boundary line between
the states of Missouri and Nebraska shall be fixed at the
center line of the main channel of the Missouri River as
of the effective date of the compact, except for that land
known as McKissick’s Island as determined by the Su-
preme Court of the United States to be within the state
of Nebraska in the case of Missouri v. Nebraska, 196 U.S.
23, and 197 U.S. 577, all of which is identified on maps
jointly prepared and certified by the state surveyors of
Missouri and Nebraska and identified as the ‘Missouri-Ne-
braska Boundary Compact Maps’, incorporated in this act
and made a part of this act by reference, and which maps
shall be filed with the secretaries of state of Missouri and
Nebraska. This center line of the main channel of the Mis-
souri River between the states is also described in this act
by metes and bounds on the ‘Missouri-Nebraska Boundary
Compact Maps’ incorporated in this act by reference and
made a part of this act. This center line of the main chan-
nel of the Missouri River as described on such maps shall
be referred to as the ‘compromise boundary’.
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‘‘ARTICLE III
‘‘RELINQUISHMENT OF SOVEREIGNTY
‘‘The state of Missouri hereby relinquishes to the
state of Nebraska all sovereignty over all lands lying on
the Nebraska side of such compromise boundary and the
state of Nebraska hereby relinquishes to the state of Mis-
souri all sovereignty over all lands lying on the Missouri
side of such compromise boundary except for that land
known as McKissick’s Island which is identified on the
‘Missouri-Nebraska Boundary Compact Maps’ incor-
porated in this act by reference and made a part of this
act.
‘‘ARTICLE IV
‘‘PENDING LITIGATION
‘‘Nothing in the act shall be deemed or construed to
affect any litigation pending in the courts of either of the
states of Missouri or Nebraska as of the effective date of
the compact concerning the title to any of the lands, sov-
ereignty over which is relinquished by the state of Missouri
to the state of Nebraska or by the state of Nebraska to
the state of Missouri and any matter concerning the title
to lands, sovereignty over which is relinquished by either
state to the other, may be continued in the courts of the
state where pending until the final determination thereof.
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‘‘ARTICLE V
‘‘PUBLIC RECORDS
‘‘(a) The public record of real estate titles, mortgages
and other liens in the state of Missouri to any lands, the
sovereignty over which is relinquished by the state of Mis-
souri to the state of Nebraska, shall be accepted as evi-
dence of record title to such lands, to and including the
effective date of such relinquishment by the state of Mis-
souri, by the courts of the state of Nebraska.
‘‘(b) The public record of real estate titles, mortgages
and other liens in the state of Nebraska to any lands, the
sovereignty over which is relinquished by the state of Ne-
braska to the state of Missouri, shall be accepted as evi-
dence of record title to such lands, to and including the
effective date of such relinquishment by the state of Ne-
braska, by the courts of the state of Missouri.
‘‘(c) As to lands, the sovereignty over which is relin-
quished, the recording officials of the counties of each
state shall accept for filing documents of title using legal
descriptions derived from the land descriptions of the
other state. The acceptance of such documents for filing
shall have no bearing upon the legal effect or sufficiency
thereof.
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‘‘ARTICLE VI
‘‘TAXES
‘‘(a) Taxes lawfully imposed by either Missouri or Ne-
braska may be levied and collected by such state or its
authorized governmental subdivisions and agencies on
land, jurisdiction over which is relinquished by the taxing
state to the other, and any liens or other rights accrued
or accruing, including the right of collection, shall be fully
recognized and the county treasurers of the counties or
other taxing authorities affected shall act as agents in car-
rying out the provisions of this article; provided, that all
liens or other rights arising out of the imposition of taxes,
accrued or accruing, shall be claimed or asserted within
five years after the compact becomes effective and if not
so claimed or asserted shall be forever barred.
‘‘(b) The lands, sovereignty over which is relinquished
by the state of Missouri to the state of Nebraska, shall
not thereafter be subject to the imposition of taxes in the
state of Missouri from and after the effective date of the
compact. The lands, sovereignty over which is relinquished
by the state of Nebraska to the state of Missouri, shall
not thereafter be subject to the imposition of taxes in the
state of Nebraska from and after the effective date of the
compact.
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of or from the other state, which titles or muniments of
title commenced prior to the effective date of this compact.
‘‘ARTICLE VIII
‘‘READJUSTMENT OF BOUNDARY BY NEGOTIATION
‘‘If at any time after the effective date of the compact
the Missouri River shall move or be moved by natural
means or otherwise so that the flow thereof at any point
along the course forming the boundary between the states
occurs entirely within one of the states, each state at the
request of the other, agrees to enter into and conduct ne-
gotiations in good faith for the purpose of readjusting the
boundary at the place or places where such movement oc-
curred consistent with the intent, policy and purpose here-
of that the boundary will be placed within the Missouri
River.
‘‘ARTICLE IX
‘‘EFFECTIVE DATE
‘‘(a) The compact shall become effective on the first
day of January of the year after it is ratified by the gen-
eral assembly of the state of Missouri and the legislature
of the state of Nebraska and approved by the Congress
of the United States.
‘‘(b) As of the effective date of the compact, the state
of Missouri and the state of Nebraska shall relinquish sov-
ereignty over the lands described in the compact and shall
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assume and accept sovereignty over such lands ceded to
them as provided in the compact.
‘‘(c) In the event the compact is not approved by the
general assembly of the state of Missouri and the legisla-
ture of the state of Nebraska on or before October 1,
1999, and approved by the Congress of the United States
within three years from the date of such approval, the
compact shall be inoperative and for all purposes shall be
void.
‘‘ARTICLE X
‘‘ENFORCEMENT
‘‘Nothing in the compact shall be construed to limit
or prevent either state from instituting or maintaining any
action or proceeding, legal or equitable, in any court hav-
ing jurisdiction, for the protection of any right under the
compact or the enforcement of any of its provisions.
‘‘ARTICLE XI
‘‘AMENDMENTS
‘‘The compact shall remain in full force and effect
unless amended in the same manner as that by which it
was created.’’.
SEC. 2. RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL.
The right to alter, amend, or repeal this joint resolu-
tion is hereby expressly reserved. The consent granted by
this joint resolution shall not be construed as impairing
or in any manner affecting any right or jurisdiction of the
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United States in and over the region which forms the sub-
ject of the compact.
SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY.
It is intended that the provisions of this compact shall
be reasonably and liberally construed to effectuate the
purposes thereof. If any part or application of this com-
pact, or legislation enabling the compact, is held invalid,
the remainder of the compact or its application to other
situations or persons shall not be affected.
SEC. 4. INCONSISTENCY OF LANGUAGE.
The validity of this compact shall not be affected by
any insubstantial differences in its form or language as
adopted by the two States.
Passed the House of Representatives September 21,
1999.
Attest:
Clerk.