Pennsylvania Act 1992-19 — DELAWARE RIVER PORT AUTHORITY COMPACT - OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS

Act text

Session of 1992

No. 1992-19

HB 2197

A SUPPLEMENT

To the act of June 12, 1931 (P.L.575, No.200), entitled "An act providing for joint action by Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the development of the ports on the lower Delaware River, and the improvement of the facilities for transportation across the river; authorizing the Governor, for these purposes, to enter into an agreement with New Jersey; creating The Delaware River Joint Commission and specifying the powers and duties thereof, including the power to finance projects by the issuance of revenue bonds; transferring to the new commission all the powers of the Delaware River Bridge Joint Commission; and making an appropriation," authorizing the acquisition or construction of a railroad or other facilities; expanding the Port District within Pennsylvania; and further providing for the appointment of commissioner and for the powers and duties of the commission.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The Governor is hereby authorized to enter into a supplemental compact or agreement, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with the State of New Jersey, further amending and supplementing the compact or agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey entitled "Agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey creating The Delaware River Joint Commission as a body corporate and politic and defining its powers and duties," which was executed on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by its Governor on July first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and on behalf of the State of New Jersey by the New Jersey Interstate Bridge Commission by its members on July first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and which was consented to by the Congress of the United States by Public Resolution Number twenty-six, being chapter two hundred fifty-eight of the Public Laws, Seventy-second Congress, approved June fourteenth, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-two, which supplemental compact and agreement shall be in substantially the following form:

"Supplemental agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey further amending and supplementing the agreement entitled 'Agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey creating The Delaware River Joint Commission as a body corporate and politic and defining its powers and duties,' authorizing the acquisition or construction of railroads and other facilities and further providing for the appointment of commissioners and for the powers and duties of the commission.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey do hereby solemnly covenant and agree, each with the other, as follows:

(1) Article I of the compact or agreement entitled 'Agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey creating The Delaware River Joint Commission as a body corporate and politic and defining its powers and duties,' which was executed on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by its Governor on July first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and on behalf of the State of New Jersey by the New Jersey Interstate Bridge Commission by its members on July first, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-one, and which was consented to by the Congress of the United States by Public Resolution Number twenty-six, being chapter two hundred fifty-eight of the Public Laws, Seventy-second Congress, approved June fourteenth, one thousand nine hundred and thirty-two, as heretofore amended and supplemented, is amended to read:

ARTICLE I

The body corporate and politic, heretofore created and known as The Delaware River Joint Commission, hereby is continued under the name of The Delaware River Port Authority (hereinafter in this agreement called the 'commission'), which shall constitute the public corporate instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey for the following public purposes, and which shall be deemed to be exercising an essential governmental function in effectuating such purposes, to wit:

(a) The operation and maintenance of the bridge, owned jointly by the two States, across the Delaware River between the City of Philadelphia in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Camden in the State of New Jersey, including its approaches, and the making of additions and improvements thereto.

(b) The effectuation, establishment, construction, acquisition, operation and maintenance of railroad or other facilities for the transportation of passengers across any bridge or tunnel owned or controlled by the commission, including extensions of such railroad or other facilities [within the City of Camden and the City of Philadelphia] necessary for efficient operation in the Port District.

(c) The improvement and development of the Port District for port purposes by or through the acquisition, construction, maintenance or operation of any and all projects for the improvement and development of the Port District for port purposes, or directly related thereto, either directly by purchase, lease or contract, or by lease or agreement with any other public or private body or corporation, or in any other manner.

(d) Cooperation with all other bodies interested or concerned with, or affected by the promotion, development or use of the Delaware River and the Port District.

(e) The procurement from the Government of the United States of any consents which may be requisite to enable any project within its powers to be carried forward.

(f) The construction, acquisition, operation and maintenance of other bridges and tunnels across or under the Delaware River, between the City of Philadelphia or the County of Delaware in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the State of New Jersey, including approaches, and the making of additions and improvements thereto.

(g) The promotion as a highway of commerce of the Delaware River, and the promotion of increased passenger and freight commerce on the Delaware River and for such purpose the publication of literature and the adoption of any other means as may be deemed appropriate.

(h) To study and make recommendations to the proper authorities for the improvement of terminal, lighterage, wharfage, warehouse and other facilities necessary for the promotion of commerce on the Delaware River.

(i) Institution through its counsel, or such other counsel as it shall designate, or intervention in, any litigation involving rates, preferences, rebates or other matters vital to the interest of the Port District: Provided, That notice of any such institution of or intervention in litigation shall be given promptly to the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, and provision for such notices shall be made in a resolution authorizing any such intervention or litigation and shall be incorporated in the minutes of the commission.

(j) The establishment, maintenance, rehabilitation, construction and operation of a rapid transit system for the transportation of passengers, express, mail, and baggage, or any of them, between points in New Jersey within the Port District and [within a thirty-five (35) mile radius of the City of Camden, New Jersey, and points within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] points in Pennsylvania within the Port District , and intermediate points. Such system may be established either by utilizing existing rapid transit systems, railroad facilities, highways and bridges within the territory involved [and] or by the construction or provision of new facilities where deemed necessary, and may be established either directly by purchase, lease or contract, or by lease or agreement with any other public or private body or corporation, or in any other manner.

(k) The performance of such other functions which may be of mutual benefit to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey insofar as concerns the promotion and development of the Port District for port purposes and the use of its facilities by commercial vessels.

(l) The performance or effectuation of such additional bridge, tunnel, railroad, rapid transit, transportation, transportation facility, terminal, terminal facility, and port improvement and development purposes within the Port District as may hereafter be delegated to or imposed upon it by the action of either State concurred in by legislation of the other.

(m) The unification of the ports of the Delaware River through (i) the acquisition or taking control of any terminal, terminal facility, transportation facility or marine terminal or port facility or associated property within the Port District through purchase, lease or otherwise, or by the acquisition, merger, becoming the successor to or entering into contracts, agreements or partnerships with any other port corporation, port authority or port-related entity which is located within the Port District, all in accordance with the applicable laws of the State in which the facility corporation or authority is located; (ii) the exercise of the other powers granted by this compact; or (iii) the establishment (whether solely or jointly with any other entity or entities) of such subsidiary corporation or corporations or maritime or port advisory committees as may be necessary or desirable to effectuate this purpose.

(n) The planning, financing, development, acquisition, construction, purchase, lease, maintenance, marketing, improvement and operation of any project, including, but not limited to, any terminal, terminal facility, transportation facility or any other facility of commerce or economic development activity, from funds available after appropriate allocation for maintenance of bridge and other capital facilities.

(2) Article II of the agreement, as heretofore amended and supplemented, is amended to read:

ARTICLE II

The commission shall consist of sixteen commissioners, eight resident voters of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and eight resident voters of the State of New Jersey, who shall serve without compensation.

[The present members of the commission, including ex-officio members, shall continue to serve, respectively, as commissioners, until the expiration of their terms or the terms of office by virtue of the holding of which they are members of the commission and until succeeding commissioners shall be appointed and qualify, except that the terms of the present members of the commission for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall expire as of the date of the coming into force of the supplemental compact or agreement authorized by the Act of the 1951 General Assembly of said Commonwealth providing for amendment of this Article.]

The commissioners for the State of New Jersey shall be appointed by the Governor of New Jersey with the advice and consent of the Senate of New Jersey, for terms of five years, and in case of a vacancy occurring in the office of commissioner during a recess of the Legislature, it may be filled by the Governor by an ad interim appointment, which shall expire at the end of the next regular session of the Senate unless a successor shall be sooner appointed and qualify and, after the end of the session, no ad interim appointment to the same vacancy shall be made unless the Governor shall have submitted to the Senate a nomination to the office during the session and the Senate shall have adjourned without confirming or rejecting it; and no person nominated for any such vacancy shall be eligible for an ad interim appointment to such office if the nomination shall have failed of confirmation by the Senate.

Six of the eight commissioners for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall be appointed by the Governor of Pennsylvania for terms of five years. The Auditor General and the State Treasurer of said Commonwealth shall, ex-officio, be commissioners for said Commonwealth, each having the privilege of appointing a representative to serve in his place at any meeting of the commission which he does not attend personally.

Any commissioner who is an elected public official shall have the privilege of appointing a representative to serve and act in his place at any meeting of the commission which he does not attend personally.

All commissioners shall continue to hold office after the expiration of the terms for which they are appointed or elected until their respective successors are appointed and qualify, but no period during which any commissioner shall hold over shall be deemed to be an extension of his term of office for the purpose of computing the date on which his successor's term expires.

(3) Article III of the agreement is amended to read:

ARTICLE III

The commissioners shall have charge of the commission's property and affairs, and shall, for the purpose of doing business, constitute a board, but no action of the commissioners shall be binding unless a majority of the members of the commission from Pennsylvania and a majority of the members of the commission from New Jersey shall vote in favor thereof.

Notwithstanding the above, each State reserves the right to provide by law for the exercise of a veto power by the Governor of that State over any action of any commissioner from that State at any time within ten days (Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in the particular State except) after receipt at the Governor's office of a certified copy of the minutes of the meeting at which such vote was taken. Each State may provide by law for the manner of delivery of such minutes and for notification of the action thereon.

(3) Article IV of the agreement, as heretofore amended and supplemented, is amended to read:

ARTICLE IV

For the effectuation of its authorized purposes, the commission is hereby granted the following powers:

(a) To have perpetual succession;

(b) To sue and be sued;

(c) To adopt and use an official seal;

(d) To elect a chairman, vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer, and to adopt suitable by-laws for the management of its affairs. The secretary and treasurer need not be members of the commission.

(e) To appoint, hire or employ counsel and such other officers, and such agents and employes, as it may require for the performance of its duties, by contract or otherwise, and fix and determine their qualifications, duties and compensation;

(f) To enter into contracts;

(g) To acquire, own, hire, use, operate and dispose of personal property;

(h) To acquire, own, use, lease, operate, mortgage and dispose of real property and interests in real property, and to make improvements thereon;

(h.1) At its option, it may authorize the Department of Property and Supplies to prescribe standards and specifications and make contracts and purchases of various materials and services for the commission, pursuant to the provisions of sections 2403, 2403.1 and 2409 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929."

(i) To grant by franchise, lease or otherwise, the use of any property or facility owned or controlled by the commission and to make charges therefor;

(j) To borrow money upon its bonds or other obligations, either with or without security, and to make, enter into and perform any and all such covenants and agreements with the holders of such bonds or other obligations as the commission may determine to be necessary or desirable for the security and payment thereof, including, without limitation of the foregoing, covenants and agreements as to the management and operation of any property or facility owned or controlled by it, the tolls, rents, rates or other charges to be established, levied, made and collected for any use of any such property or facility, or the application, use and disposition of the proceeds of any bonds or other obligations of the commission, or the proceeds of any such tolls, rents, rates or other charges or any other revenues or moneys of the commission;

(k) To exercise the right of eminent domain within the Port District;

(l) To determine the exact location, system and character of, and all other matters in connection with, any and all improvements or facilities which it may be authorized to own, construct, establish, effectuate, operate or control;

(m) In addition to the foregoing, to exercise the powers, duties, authority and jurisdiction heretofore conferred and imposed upon the aforesaid The Delaware River Joint Commission by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the State of New Jersey, or both of the said two States;

(n) To exercise all other powers, not inconsistent with the constitutions of the two States or of the United States, which may be reasonably necessary or incidental to the effectuation of its authorized purposes or to the exercise of any of the foregoing powers, except the power to levy taxes or assessments; and generally to exercise, in connection with its property and affairs and in connection with property within its control, any and all powers which might be exercised by a natural person or a private corporation in connection with similar property and affairs;

(o) To acquire, purchase, construct, lease, operate, maintain and undertake any project, including any terminal, terminal facility, transportation facility, or any other facility of commerce, and to make charges for the use thereof;

(p) To make expenditures anywhere in the United States and foreign countries, to pay commissions, and hire or contract with experts or consultants, and otherwise to do indirectly anything which the commission may do directly.

(q) To establish one or more operating divisions as deemed necessary to exercise the power and effectuate the purposes of this agreement.

The commission shall also have such additional powers as may hereafter be delegated to or imposed upon it from time to time by the action of either State concurred in by legislation of the other.

It is the policy and intent of the Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey that the powers granted by this Article shall be so exercised that the American system of free competitive private enterprise is given full consideration and is maintained and furthered. In making its reports and recommendations to the Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey on the need for any facility or project which the commission believes should be undertaken for the promotion and development of the Port District, the commission shall include therein its findings which fully set forth that the facility or facilities operated by private enterprise within the Port District and which it is intended shall be supplanted or added to are not adequate.

(5) Article XII of the agreement, as heretofore amended and supplemented, is amended to read:

ARTICLE XII

[The commission shall make annual reports to the Governors and Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, setting forth in detail its operations and transactions, and may make such additional reports, from time to time, to the Governors and Legislatures as it may deem desirable. Copies thereof shall be available for public information and use.

Whenever the commission, after investigation and study, shall have concluded plans, with estimates of cost, and means of financing for any new project, for a purpose other than any described in Article I, subdivisions (b) or (j) hereof, for transportation across or under the Delaware River within the Port District, or improvement of the Delaware River's port facilities, the Commission shall make to the Legislatures of each State a detailed report, dealing only with the contemplated project, and shall request of said Legislatures authority to proceed with the project described; and it shall not be within the power of the commission to construct, erect or otherwise acquire any new facility or project, for a purpose other than any described in Article I, subdivisions (b) or (j) hereof, unless and until the Legislatures of both States shall have authorized the commission to proceed with the project outlined in its special report thereon.]

The commission shall, within ninety days after the end of each fiscal year, submit to the Governors and Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey a complete and detailed report of the following:

(1) its operations and accomplishments during the completed fiscal year;

(2) its receipts and disbursements or revenues and expenses during that year in accordance with the categories and classifications established by the commission for its own operating and capital outlay purposes;

(3) its assets and liabilities at the end of the fiscal year, including the status or reserve, depreciation, special or other funds, including debits and credits of these funds;

(4) a schedule of bonds and notes outstanding at the end of the fiscal year;

(5) a list of all contracts exceeding $100,000 entered into during the fiscal year;

(6) a business or strategic plan for the commission and for each of its operating divisions; and

(7) a five-year capital plan.

Not less than once every five years the commission shall cause a management audit of its operational effectiveness and efficiency to be conducted by an independent consulting firm selected by the commission. The first management audit to be conducted shall commence within three years of the date of coming into force of the supplemental compact or agreement authorized by this 1992 amendatory act. This audit is in addition to any other audit which the commission determines to conduct from time to time.

The commission shall, not later than two years after the date of the coming into force of the supplemental compact or agreement authorized by this 1992 amendatory act, prepare a comprehensive master plan for the development of the Port District. The plan shall include, but not be limited to, plans for the construction, financing, development, reconstruction, purchase, lease, improvement and operation of any terminal, terminal facility, transportation facility or any other facility of commerce or economic development activity. The master plan shall include the general location of such projects and facilities as may be included in the master plan and shall to the maximum extent practicable include, but not be limited to, a general description of each such projects and facilities, the land use requirements necessary therefor and estimates of project costs and of a schedule for commencement of each such project. Prior to adopting such master plan, the commission shall give written notice to, afford a reasonable opportunity for comment, consult with and consider any recommendations from State, county and municipal government, as well as commissions, public corporations and authorities and the private sector. The commission may modify or change any part of the plan in the same form and manner as provided for the adoption of the original plan. At the time the commission authorizes any project or facility, the commission shall promptly provide to the Governor and Legislature of each State a detailed report on the project, including its status within the master plan. The commission shall include within the authorization a status of the project or facility in the master plan and any amendment thereof, and no project shall be authorized if not included in the master plan or amendment thereof. Any project which has been commenced and approved by the commission prior to the adoption of the master plan shall be included, for informational purposes only, in the master plan. The commission shall provide notice of such ongoing projects to those State, county and municipal governments, as well as entities in the private sector who would be entitled to such notice had the project not been commenced in anticipation of adopting the master plan, but there shall be no requirement that the project be delayed or deferred due to those provisions.

In addition to other powers conferred upon it, and not in limitation thereof, the commission may acquire all right, title and interest in and to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, across the Delaware River at Palmyra, New Jersey, together with any approaches and interests in real property necessary thereto. The acquisition of such bridge, approaches and interests by the commission shall be by purchase or by condemnation in accordance with the provisions of the Federal law consenting to or authorizing the construction of such bridge [and] or approaches, or the acquisition of such bridge, approaches or interests by the commission shall be pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions of sections 48:5-22 and 48:5-23 of the Revised Statutes of New Jersey, and for all the purposes of said provisions and sections the commission is hereby appointed as the agency of the State of New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania exercising the rights and powers granted or reserved by said Federal law or sections to the State of New Jersey and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania jointly or to the State of New Jersey acting in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The commission shall have authority to so acquire such bridge, approaches and interests, whether the same be owned, held, operated or maintained by any private person, firm, partnership, company, association or corporation or by any instrumentality, public body, commission, public agency or political subdivision (including any county or municipality) of, or created by or in, the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or by any instrumentality, public body, commission or public agency of, or created by or in, a political subdivision (including any county or municipality) of the State of New Jersey or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. None of the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be applicable with respect to the acquisition by the commission, pursuant to this paragraph, of said Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, approaches and interests. The power and authority herein granted to the commission to acquire said Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, approaches and interests shall not be exercised unless and until the Governor of the State of New Jersey and the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have filed with the commission their written consents to such acquisition.

[It shall not be within the power of the commission to construct, erect, or otherwise acquire any new facility or project for a purpose described in Article I, subdivision (j) hereof, unless and until the commission shall have made to the Legislature and Governor of the State of New Jersey and to the Legislature and Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a detailed report dealing only with such contemplated facility or project, and the Governor of said State and the Governor of said Commonwealth shall have filed with the commission their written consents to such construction, erection or acquisition.]

Notwithstanding any provision of this agreement, nothing herein contained shall be construed to limit or impair any right or power granted or to be granted to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission or the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, to finance, construct, operate and maintain the Pennsylvania Turnpike System or any turnpike project of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, respectively, throughout the Port District, including the right and power, acting alone or in conjunction with each other, to provide for the financing, construction, operation and maintenance of one bridge across the Delaware River south of the City of Trenton in the State of New Jersey: Provided, That such bridge shall not be constructed within a distance of ten miles, measured along the boundary line between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, from the existing bridge, operated and maintained by the commission, across the Delaware River between the City of Philadelphia in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Camden in the State of New Jersey, so long as there are any outstanding bonds or other securities or obligations of the commission for which the tolls, rents, rates, or other revenues, or any part thereof, of said existing bridge shall have been pledged. Nothing contained in this agreement shall be construed to authorize the commission to condemn any such bridge.

Anything herein contained to the contrary notwithstanding, no bridge or tunnel shall be constructed, acquired, operated or maintained by the commission across or under the Delaware River north of the boundary line between Bucks County and Philadelphia County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as extended across the Delaware River to the New Jersey shore of said river, and any new bridge or tunnel authorized by or pursuant to this compact or agreement to be constructed or erected by the commission may be constructed or erected at any location south of said boundary line notwithstanding the terms and provisions of any other agreement between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. Except as may hereafter be otherwise provided in conformity with Article IX hereof with respect to specific properties designated by action of the Legislatures of both of the signatory States, no property or facility owned or controlled by the commission shall be acquired from it by any exercise of powers of condemnation or eminent domain.

(6) Article XIII of the agreement, as heretofore amended and supplemented, is amended to read:

ARTICLE XIII

As used herein, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:

"Port District" shall mean all the territory within the counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware , Montgomery and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and all the territory within the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Glouster, Ocean and Salem in New Jersey.

"Commission" shall mean The Delaware River Port Authority and, when required by the context, the board constituting the governing body thereof in charge of its property and affairs.

"Commissioner" shall mean a member of the governing body of The Delaware River Port Authority.

"Economic development activity" or "economic development" shall mean any structure of facility or any development within the Port District in connection with manufacturing, port-oriented development, foreign trade zone site development or research, commercial, industrial or recreational purposes, or for purposes of warehousing or consumer and supporting services directly relating to any of the foregoing or to any authority project or facility which are required for the sound economic development of the Port District.

"Terminal" shall include any marine, motor truck, motorbus, railroad and air terminal or garage , also any coal, grain and lumber terminal and any union freight and other terminals used or to be used in connection with the transportation of passengers and freight, and equipment, materials and supplies therefor.

"Transportation facility" and "facilities for transportation of passengers" shall include railroads operated by steam, electricity or other power, rapid transit lines, motor trucks, motorbuses, tunnels, bridges, airports, boats, ferries, carfloats, lighters, tugs, floating elevators, barges, scows, or harbor craft of any kind, and aircraft, and equipment, materials and supplies therefor.

"Terminal facility" shall include wharves, piers, slips, berths, ferries, docks, drydocks, ship repair yards, bulkheads, dock walls, basins, carfloats, floatbridges, dredging equipment, radio receiving and sending stations, grain or other storage elevators, warehouses, cold storage, tracks, yards, sheds, switches, connections, overhead appliances, bunker coal, oil and fresh water stations, markets, and every kind of terminal, storage or supply facility now in use, or hereafter designed for use to facilitate passenger transportation and for the handling, storage, loading or unloading of freight at terminals, and equipment, materials and supplies therefor.

"Transportation of passengers" and "passenger transportation" shall mean the transportation of passengers by railroad or other facilities.

"Rapid transit system" shall mean a transit system for the transportation of passengers, express, mail and baggage by railroad or other facilities, and equipment, materials and supplies therefor.

"Project" shall mean any improvement, betterment, facility or structure authorized by or pursuant to this compact or agreement to be constructed, erected, acquired, owned or controlled or otherwise undertaken by the commission. "Project" shall not include undertakings for purposes described in Article I, subdivisions [(a),] (d), (e), (g), (h) and (i).

"Railroad" shall include railways, extensions thereof, tunnels, subways, bridges, elevated structures, tracks, poles, wires, conduits, powerhouses, substations, lines for the transmission of power, carbarns, shops, yards, sidings, turnouts, switches, stations and approaches thereto, cars and motive equipment.

"Bridge" and "tunnel" shall include such approach highways and interests in real property necessary therefor in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the State of New Jersey as may be determined by the commission to be necessary to facilitate the flow of traffic in the vicinity of a bridge or tunnel or to connect a bridge or tunnel with the highway system or other traffic facilities in said Commonwealth or said State: Provided, however, That the power and authority herein granted to the commission to construct new or additional approach highways shall not be exercised unless and until the Department of [Highways] Transportation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania shall have filed with the commission its written approval as to approach highways to be located in said Commonwealth and the State Highway Department of the State of New Jersey shall have filed with the commission its written approval as to approach highways to be located in said State.

"Facility" shall include all works, buildings, structures, property, appliances, and equipment, together with appurtenances necessary and convenient for the proper construction, equipment, maintenance and operation of a facility or facilities or any one or more of them.

"Personal property" shall include choses in action and all other property now commonly, or legally, defined as personal property, or which may hereafter be so defined.

"Lease" shall include rent or hire.

"Municipality" shall include a county, city, borough, village, township, town, public agency, public authority or political subdivision.

Words importing the singular number include the plural number and vice versa.

Wherever legislation or action by the Legislature of either signatory State is herein referred to, it shall mean an act of the Legislature duly adopted in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of such State."

Section 2. The Governor is hereby authorized to apply, on behalf on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to the Congress of the United States for its consent and approval to the aforesaid supplemental compact or agreement; but, in the absence of such consent and approval, the commission referred to in such supplemental compact or agreement shall have all of the powers which the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey may confer upon it without the consent and approval of Congress.

Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately; but the Governor shall not enter into any supplemental compact or agreement hereunder until the State of New Jersey shall have passed a substantially similar act embodying the agreement between the two states herein set forth.

APPROVED--The 3th day of April, A. D. 1992.

ROBERT P. CASEY