A bill granting the consent of Congress to the Arkansas-Mississippi Great River Bridge Construction Compact.
PL 99-560 (S.1082), enacted 10/27/1986

100 STAT. 3146 
PUBLIC LAW 99-560—OCT. 27, 1986 
Public Law 99-560 
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99th Congress 
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An Act 
Oct. 27, 1986 
Granting the consent of Congress to the Arkansas-Mississippi Great River Bridge 
[S. 1082] 
Construction Compact. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 
1
. 
CONSENT 
OF 
CONGRESS 
TO 
COMPACT. 
/ . 
, 
The Congress consents to the Arkansas-Mississippi Great River 
Bridge Construction Compact, which was entered into between the 
States of Arkansas and Mississippi and was approved by law in the 
State of Arkansas on February 7, 1985, and in the State of Mis-
sissippi on March 19, 1985. The compact is substantially as follows: 
"ARKANSAS-MISSISSIPPI GREAT RIVER BRIDGE 
• 
CONSTRUCTION COMPACT 
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"ARTICLE I 
"The purpose of this compact is to promote the construction of a 
highway bridge or a combined highway-railroad bridge connecting 
the States of Mississippi and Arkansas at, near or between Rosedale, 
Mississippi, and McGehee and Dumas, Arkansas, and to establish a 
joint interstate authority to assist in these efforts. 
"ARTICLE II 
Effective date. 
"This Compact shall become effective immediately as to the States 
ratifying it whenever the States of Arkansas and Mississippi have 
ratified it and Congress has given consent thereto. 
"ARTICLE III 
"(a) The states which are parties to this compact (hereinafter 
referred to as Tarty States') do hereby establish and create a joint 
agency which shall be known as the Arkansas-Mississippi Great 
River Bridge Authority (hereinafter referred to as The Authority'). 
The membership of The Authority shall consist of five (5) members 
from the State of Mississippi, to be selected in such manner as may 
be provided by laws enacted by the Legislature of the State of 
Mississippi, and five (5) members from the State of Arkansas, to be 
selected in such manner as may be provided by laws enacted by the 
Arkansas General Assembly. The terms of the members of such 
Authority from each of the Party States, the method of appointing 
successor members, and the method of filling vacancies on The 
Authority, shall be determined by the laws of Mississippi and 
Arkansas. 
"(b) The members of The Authority shall not be compensated for 
services on The Authority, but each member shall be entitled to 
actual and reasonable expenses incurred in attending meetings or 
PUBLIC LAW 99-560—OCT. 27, 1986 
100 STAT. 3147 
incurred otherwise in the performance of his/her duties as a 
member of The Authority. 
"(c) The members of The Authority shall meet upon the call of the 
chairman and hold such other meetings as its business may require. 
Special meetings of The Authority may be called by the chairman or 
upon written request of a majority of the members of The Authority 
from each of the Party States. The Authority shall choose annually 
a chairman and vice chairman from its members, and the chairman-
ship shall rotate each year among the Party States, in order of their 
acceptance of this compact. 
"(d) The Secretary of The Authority (hereinafter provided for) 
shall notify each member in writing of all meetings of The Author-
ity in such a manner and under such rules and regulations as The 
Authority may prescribe. 
"(e) The Authority shall adopt rules and regulations for the 
transaction of its business; and the secretary shall keep a record of 
all its business and shall furnish a copy thereof to each member of 
The Authority. 
"(f) It shall be the duty of The Authority, in general, to promote, 
encourage, and coordinate the efforts of the Party States to secure 
the development of the Arkansas-Mississippi Great River Bridge 
at, near or between Rosedale, Mississippi, and McGehee-Dumas, 
Arkansas. Toward this end. The Authority shall have power to: 
"(i) Hold hearings; 
"(ii) Conduct studies and surveys of all problems, benefits, and 
other matters associated with the construction of the Arkansas-
Mississippi Great River Bridge, and to make reports thereon; 
"(iii) Acquire by gift, grant or otherwise, from local, 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 the same and to expend such monies as is necessary 
to defray the costs of establishing and operating The Authority; 
"(iv) Cooperate with other public or private groups, whether 
local, state, regional, or national, having an interest in the 
bridge construction; 
"(v) Formulate and execute plans and policies for emphasiz-
ing the purpose of this compact before the Congress of the 
United States and other appropriate officers and agencies of the 
United States; 
"(vi) Negotiate with one or more railroads in the State of 
Mississippi and the State of Arkansas, and with the appropriate 
Federal authorities for the construction of the Arkansas-Mis-
sissippi Great River Bridge as a combined highway-railroad 
bridge. If necessary. The Authority may enter into a contract 
with one or more railroads and/or the appropriate agencies of 
the United States to borrow funds for the construction of the 
railroad portion of the bridge, to be reimbursed, including all 
costs of principal, interest and other costs in connection with 
such indebtedness, by revenues derived from rental fees, grants, 
or other charges, with such indebtedness to be secured solely by 
a pledge of such revenues; and 
"(vii) Exercise such other powers as may be appropriate to 
enable it to accomplish its functions and duties in connection 
with the construction of the Arkansas-Mississippi Great River 
Bridge as a highway bridge or a combined highway-railroad 
bridge, and to carry out the purposes of this compact. 
100 STAT. 3148 
PUBLIC LAW 99-560—OCT. 27, 1986 
" A R T I C L E IV 
"The Authority shall appoint a secretary, who shall be a person 
familiar with the nature, procedures, and significance of the bridge 
construction and the informational, educational, and publicity 
methods of stimulating general interest in such developments, and 
who shall be the compact administrator. The term of office of the 
secretary shall be at the pleasure of The Authority and such officer 
shall receive such compensation as The Authority shall prescribe 
from monies provided to The Authority under Article III(f)(iii). The 
secretary shall maintain custody of The Authority's books, records, 
and papers, which shall be kept by the secretary at the office of The 
Authority, and shall perform all functions and duties and exercise 
all powers and authorities which may be delegated to the secretary 
of The Authority. 
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"ARTICLE V 
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"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 authorize or permit curtailment 
or diminution of any other bridge project, or to affect any existing or 
future cooperative arrangement or relationship between any federal 
agency and a Party State. 
"ARTICLE VI 
"This compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon 
each Party State until the Legislature or Governor of each or either 
state takes action to withdraw therefrom; provided that such with-
drawal shall not become effective until six (6) 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 by the secretary of 
state of the Party State which takes such action.". 
SEC. 2. FEDERAL JURISDICTION RETAINED. 
Nothing in the compact approved by section 1 shall be construed 
as impairing or in any manner affecting any right or jurisdiction of 
the United States. 
SEC. 3. R E S E R V A T I O N . 
The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly reserved. 
Approved October 27, 1986. 
L E G I S L A T I V E H I S T O R Y — S . 1082 (H.R. 5390): 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 99-911 accompanying H.R. 5390 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
C O N G R E S S I O N A L RECORD: 
Vol. 131 (1985): Dec. 3, considered and psissed Senate. 
Vol. 132 (1986): Sept. 29, H.R. 5390 considered and passed House; proceedings 
vacated and S. 1082, amended, peissed in lieu. 
Oct. 9, Senate concurred in House amendments.