H. J. Res. 54
One Hundred Sixth Congress
of the
United States of America
AT THE FIRST SESSION
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine
Joint Resolution
Granting the consent of Congress to the Missouri-Nebraska Boundary Compact.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL CONSENT.
The Congress consents to the Missouri-Nebraska Boundary
Compact entered into between the States of Missouri and Nebraska.
The compact reads substantially as follows:
‘‘MISSOURI-NEBRASKA BOUNDARY COMPACT
‘‘ARTICLE I
‘‘FINDINGS AND PURPOSES
‘‘(a) The states of Missouri and Nebraska find that there are
actual and potential disputes, controversies, criminal proceedings
and litigation arising or which may arise out of the location of
the boundary line between the states of Missouri and Nebraska;
that the Missouri River constituting the boundary between the
states has changed its course from time to time, and that the
United States Army Corps of Engineers has established a main
channel of such river for navigation and other purposes, which
main channel is identified on maps jointly certified by the state
surveyors of Missouri and Nebraska and identified as the ‘Missouri-
Nebraska Boundary Maps’, which maps are incorporated in this
act and made part of this act by reference, and which maps shall
be filed with the secretaries of state of Missouri and Nebraska.
‘‘(b) It is the principal purpose of the states of Missouri and
Nebraska in executing the compact to establish an identifiable
compromise boundary between the state of 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 pri-
vate rights or titles 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 interstate relation-
ship;
‘‘(2) to avoid multiple exercise of sovereignty and jurisdic-
tion including matters of taxation, judicial 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;
H. J. Res. 54—2
‘‘(5) to encourage the optimum mutual beneficial use of
the Missouri River, its waters and its facilities;
‘‘(6) to establish a forum for settlement of future 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 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 Supreme 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-Nebraska 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 Missouri 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 channel
of the Missouri River as described on such maps shall be referred
to as the ‘compromise boundary’.
‘‘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 Missouri 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’ incorporated 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, sovereignty 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.