[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 116 (Thursday, August 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S9442]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT

 Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about House 
Joint Resolution 166, a bill we passed late last night, to grant the 
consent of Congress to the Mutual Aid Agreement between the city of 
Bristol, VA, and the city of Bristol, TN. Specifically, this bill would 
allow law enforcement officers in the cities of Bristol, VA, and 
Bristol, TN, when requested by the adjoining city, to cross State lines 
in the performance of their duties and operate with full authorization 
in the adjoining city once there.
  Last May, I met with members of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and 
discussed the need to alleviate Federal hurdles that keep the two 
cities from working together to address a host of municipal issues. The 
Virginia-Tennessee State line cuts across State Street in Bristol, 
which is the cities' main thoroughfare. Often, jurisdictional confusion 
and restrictions on law enforcement personnel caused by the location of 
the State line complicate anticrime activities on the bustling street. 
Under current law, the cities are prohibited from assisting each other 
in law enforcement efforts. To address the problem, the two cities 
adopted a mutual aid agreement to allow each city to provide law 
enforcement and emergency assistance to one another. Under the terms of 
the agreement, the responding city could provide a maximum of 50 
percent of available personnel and resources to the requesting city.
  The mutual aid agreement has been fashioned according to the cities' 
respective State statutory requirements. Because the mutual aid 
agreement is an interstate compact, it requires congressional approval. 
Additionally, section 15.1-131 of the 1950 Code of Virginia, as 
amended, also requires congressional approval for multi-state 
agreements to which Virginia or one of its localities is a party.
  I am pleased that the Senate was able to move this bill quickly. This 
could not have happened without the full cooperation of the Senators 
from both States. Representatives Boucher and Quillen should also be 
recognized for introducing this legislation and sheparding it through 
the House.
  The two cities of Bristol share common interests and common problems, 
and now with passage of this bill, the two cities will be able to work 
more cooperatively for the betterment of all the citizens of 
Bristol.

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