IA 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. J. RES. 92 
Granting the consent and approval of Congress for the Commonwealth of 
Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the District of Columbia to amend 
the Washington Area Transit Regulation Compact. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 28, 2017 
Mrs. COMSTOCK (for herself, Mr. BEYER, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. BROWN of 
Maryland, Mr. DELANEY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RASKIN, and Mr. HOYER) 
submitted the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
Granting the consent and approval of Congress for the Com-
monwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and the 
District of Columbia to amend the Washington Area 
Transit Regulation Compact. 
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives
of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Congress in title III of the Fixing America’s 
Surface Transportation Act (section 3026, Public 
Law 114–94) provided sole authority to the Sec-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:29 Mar 28, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ92.IH
HJ92
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HJ 92 IH 
retary of Transportation to appoint Federal Direc-
tors to the Board of Directors of the Washington 
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and required 
the signatory parties to the Compact to amend the 
Compact as necessary. 
(2) Legislation enacted by the State of Mary-
land, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Dis-
trict of Columbia contains the amendments to the 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation 
Compact pursuant to section 3026(b) of the Fixing 
America’s Surface Transportation Act (Public Law 
114–94). 
SEC. 2. CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO COMPACT AMEND-
MENTS. 
(a) CONSENT.—Consent of Congress is given to the 
amendments of the State of Maryland, the amendments 
of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the amendments 
of the District of Columbia to section 5, of title III of 
the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation 
Compact. 
(b) AMENDMENTS.—The amendments referred to in 
subsection (a) amending section 5 of such Compact are 
substantially as follows: 
‘‘(a) The Authority shall be governed by a Board of 
eight Directors consisting of two Directors for each Signa-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:29 Mar 28, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ92.IH
HJ92
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HJ 92 IH 
tory and two for the Federal Government (one of whom 
shall be a regular passenger and customer of the bus or 
rail service of the Authority). For Virginia, the Directors 
shall be appointed by the Northern Virginia Transpor-
tation Commission; for the District of Columbia by the 
Council of the District of Columbia; for Maryland, by the 
Washington Suburban Transit Commission; and for the 
Federal Government, by the Secretary of the United 
States Department of Transportation. For Virginia and 
Maryland, the Directors shall be appointed from among 
the members of the appointing body, except as otherwise 
provided herein, and shall serve for a term coincident with 
their term on the appointing body. A Director for a Signa-
tory may be removed or suspended from office only as pro-
vided by the law of the Signatory from which he was ap-
pointed. The non-Federal appointing authorities shall also 
appoint an alternate for each Director. In addition, the 
Secretary of the United States Department of Transpor-
tation shall also appoint two nonvoting members who shall 
serve as the alternates for the Federal Directors. An alter-
nate Director may act only in the absence of the Director 
for whom he has been appointed an alternate, except that, 
in the case of the District of Columbia where only one 
Director and his alternate are present, such alternate may 
act on behalf of the absent Director. Each alternate, in-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:29 Mar 28, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ92.IH
HJ92
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HJ 92 IH 
cluding the Federal nonvoting Directors, shall serve at the 
pleasure of the appointing authority. In the event of a va-
cancy in the Office of Director or alternate, it shall be 
filled in the same manner as an original appointment. 
‘‘(b) Before entering upon the duties of his office 
each Director and alternate director shall take and sub-
scribe to the following oath (or affirmation) of office or 
any such other oath or affirmation, if any, as the Constitu-
tion or laws of the Government he represents shall provide: 
‘I, llllllllllllllllllll, here-
by solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and de-
fend the Constitution of the United States and the Con-
stitution and Laws of the state or political jurisdiction 
from which I was appointed as a Director (alternate direc-
tor) of the Board of Washington Metropolitan Area Tran-
sit Authority and will faithfully discharge the duties of the 
office upon which I am about to enter.’.’’. 
SEC. 3. RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL. 
The right to alter, amend, or repeal this joint resolu-
tion is 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 
United States in and over the region that forms the sub-
ject of the Compact. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:29 Mar 28, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HJ92.IH
HJ92
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HJ 92 IH 
SEC. 4. 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 
Compact, or legislation enabling the Compact, is held in-
valid, the remainder of the Compact or its application to 
other situations or persons shall not be affected. 
SEC. 5. 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 State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of 
Virginia, and the District of Columbia. 
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This joint resolution shall take effect on the date of 
enactment of this joint resolution. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:29 Mar 28, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HJ92.IH
HJ92
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS