A bill granting the consent of the Congress to an interstate compact between the States of Mississippi and Louisiana establishing a commission to study the feasibility of rapid rail transit service between the two States.
PL 97-213 (H.R.4903), enacted 06/30/1982

96 STAT. 150 
PUBLIC LAW 97-213—JUNE 30, 1982 
June 30, 1982 
[H.R. 4903] 
Mississippi-
Louisiana 
Rapid Rail 
Transit 
Compact. 
Congressional 
consent. 
Public Law 97-213 
97th Congress 
An Act 
Granting the consent of the Congress to an interstate compact between the States of 
Mississippi and Louisiana establishing a commission to study the feasibility of 
rapid rail transit service between the two States. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Congress 
consents to the compact entered into between the States of Missis-
sippi and Louisiana establishing a commission to study the feasibil-
ity of providing rapid rail transit service between the two States, 
which compact was approved on April 23, 1981, by the State of 
Mississippi, and was approved on July 15, 1980, and approved as 
amended on July 7,1981, by the State of Louisiana. Such compact is 
as follows: 
'MISSISSIPPI-LOUISIANA RAPID RAIL TRANSIT COMPACT 
"ARTICLE I 
"The purpose of this compact is to study the feasibility of rapid 
rail transit service between the States of Mississippi and Louisiana 
and to establish a joint interstate commission to assist in this effort. 
"ARTICLE II 
Ratification. 
"This Compact shall become effective immediately as to the States 
ratifying it whenever the States of Louisiana and Mississippi have 
ratified it and Congress has given consent thereto. Any State not 
mentioned in this article which is contiguous with any member 
State may become a party to this compact, subject to approval by the 
legislature of each of the member States. 
"ARTICLE III 
"The States which are parties to this compact Qiereinafter 
referred to as 'party States') do hereby establish and create a joint 
agency which shall be known as the Mississippi-Louisiana Rapid 
Rail Transit Commission (hereinafter referred to as the 'commis-
sion'). The membership of such commission shall consist of the 
Governor of each party State, one representative each from the 
Mississippi Energy and Transportation Board, or its successor, and 
the Office of Aviation and Public Transportation of the Louisiana 
Department of Transportation and Development, or its successor, 
and five other citizens of each party State to be appointed by the 
Governor thereof. The appointive members of the commission shall 
Vacancies. 
serve for terms of four years each. Vacancies on the commission 
shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the unexpired 
Expenses. 
portion of the term. The members of the commission shall not be 
compensated for service on the commission, but each of the 
appointed members shall be entitled to actual and reasonable 
Mississippi-
Louisiana Rapid 
Rail Transit 
Commission. 
Establishment. 
Membership. 
PUBLIC LAW 97-213—JUNE 30, 1982 
96 STAT. 151 
expenses incurred in attending meetings or incurred otherwise in 
the performance of his duties as a member of the commission. The 
members of the commission shall hold regular quarterly meetings 
and such special meetings as its business may require. They shall 
choose annually a chairman and vice chairman from among their 
members, and the chairmanship shall rotate each year among the 
party States in order of their acceptance of this compact. The 
commission shall adopt rules and regulations for the transaction of 
its business and a record shall be kept of all its business. It shall be 
the duty of the commission to study the feasibility of providing 
interstate rapid rail transit service between the party States. 
Toward this end, the commission shall have power to hold hearings; Hearings. 
to conduct studies and surveys of all problems, benefits, and other 
matters associated with such service, and to make reports thereon; 
to acquire, by gift, grant, or otherwise, from local, State, Federal, or 
private sources such money or property as may be provided for the 
proper performance of their function, and to hold and dispose of 
same; to cooperate with other public or private groups, whether 
local. State, regional, or national, having an interest in such service; 
to formulate and execute plans and policies for emphasizing the 
purpose of this compact before the Congress of the United States 
and other appropriate officers and agencies of the United States; 
and to exercise such other powers as may be appropriate to enable it 
to accomplish its functions and duties and to carry out the purposes 
of this compact. 
"ARTICLE IV 
"Each party State agrees that its legislature may, in its discretion, Funds. 
from time to time make available and pay over to the commission 
funds for the establishment and operation of the commission. The 
contribution of each party State shall be in equal amounts, if 
possible, but nothing in this article shall be construed as binding the 
legislature of either State to make an appropriation of a set amount 
of funds at any particular time. 
"ARTICLE V 
"Nothing in this compact shall be construed so as to conflict with 
any existing statute, or to limit the powers of any party State, or to 
repeal or prevent legislation, or to affect any existing or future 
cooperative arrangement or relationship between any Federal 
agency and a party State. 
"ARTICLE VI 
"(1) This compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon Withdrawal. 
each party State until the legislature or Governor of each or either 
State takes action to withdraw therefrom. However, any such with-
drawal shall not become effective until six months after the date of 
the action taken by the legislature or Governor. Notice of such 
action shall be given to the other party State or States by the 
Secretary of State of the party State which takes such action. 
"(2) There is hereby granted to the Governor, to the members of Powers. 
the commission for Louisiana, and to the compact administrator all 
the powers provided for in this compact and in this section. All 
officers of the State of Mississippi/Louisiana are hereby authorized 
and directed to do all things falling within their respective jurisdic-
97-200 O—84—pt. 1 
7 : QL3 
96 STAT. 152 
PUBLIC LAW 97-213—JUNE 30, 1982 
tions which are necessary or incidental to carrsdng out the purpose 
of the compact.". 
SEC. 2. Nothing contained in the compact described in the first 
section of this Act shall be construed as impairing or in any manner 
affecting any right or jurisdiction of the United States in or over the 
region which forms the subject of the compact. 
SEC. 3. The right to alter, eimend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
reserved. 
Approved June 80, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 4903: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 97-584 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
June 7, considered and passed House. 
June 24, considered and passed Senate.