[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1465-E1466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  CONGRESS' CONSENT IS NEEDED BY THE HISTORIC CHATTAHOOCHEE COMMISSION

                                 ______


                           HON. TERRY EVERETT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 1995
  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, today I, along with members of the Alabama 
and Georgia delegations, rise to introduce a measure on behalf of the 
Historic Chattahoochee Commission, a State agency of both Alabama and 
Georgia.
  On October 14, 1978, President Carter signed Public Law 95-462 which 
granted the consent of Congress to the Historic Chattahoochee Compact 
between the States of Alabama and Georgia. Earlier, both States had 
passed identical legislation to authorize the creation of this compact 
for the operation of the Historic Chattahoochee Commission. The 
Commission, a bi-State heritage tourism agency, serves 11 Georgia and 7 
Alabama counties along the lower Chattahoochee River.
  At present, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission's board nomination 
process is cumbersome. The commission's 28 board members--14 from each 
State--are appointed ``* * * by the historical commission or 
organization or similar historical body or other designated authority 
in each of the counties represented by the Commission who shall be bona 
fide residents and qualified voters of the party states.'' In some 
counties, there are no historical or preservation groups and 
organizations. In other countries, there are two or three historical or 
preservation organizations. County or city governments and even some 
tourism or commerce organizations have been called upon to nominate 
board members in counties without historical or preservation groups. 
This process is often confusing and time consuming. In an effort to 
resolve this inefficiency, the Historical Chattahoochee Commission's 
board of directors proposed to amend the interstate compact to simplify 
the commission's board selection procedures. This legislation seeks to 
ease this process.
  In 1993, the Alabama Legislature approved Act 93-643 and the Georgia 
General Assembly endorsed Act 326 which amended the Historical 
Chattahoochee Commission's interstate compact to provide for a 
different board selection process. This amendment, and the legislation 
I am introducing today, specifies that

       The Commission shall consist of 28 members who shall be 
     bona fide residents and qualified voters of the party states 
     and counties served by the Commission. Election for vacant 
     seats shall be by majority vote of the voting members of the 
     Commission board at a regularly scheduled meeting.

  On August 19, 1993, the Alabama Attorney General's office rendered an 
opinion that the Historical Chattahoochee Commission,

       * * * cannot use the amended version of the enabling 
     legislation to select new board members until the consent of 
     Congress is given by the amending of Public Law 95-462.

  On February 2, 1994, the Georgia Attorney General's office issued an 
opinion that:

       * * * the Georgia amendment expressly requires that both 
     the Georgia and Alabama amendments of the Historic 
     Chattahoochee Compact be approved by Congress prior to 
     becoming effective. Without such approval, the Commission 
     does not have the authority to act under the Georgia or 
     Alabama amendment.

  With this requirement in mind, it is with pleasure that I join with 
my colleagues Representative Bevill, Representative Bishop, 
Representative Browder, Representative Cramer, and Representative 
Hilliard in seeing that the amendment to the Historical Chattahoochee 
Commission's interstate compact becomes effective. Senator Shelby has 
introduced S. 848 in the Senate and he is joined 

[[Page E 1466]]
in support by Senators Heflin, Coverdell, and Nunn.
  During the 104th Congress, I look forward to gaining the support of 
the House in advancing this legislation expeditiously, as it has 
already been approved by the States of Alabama and Georgia.


                          ____________________