[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 7 (Thursday, January 21, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S131-S132]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT REGULATION COMPACT AMENDMENTS

  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary 
Committee be discharged from further

[[Page S132]]

consideration of S.J. Res. 25 and the Senate proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) granting the consent and 
     approval of Congress to amendments made by the State of 
     Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of 
     Columbia to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
     Regulation Compact.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, the committee is 
discharged.
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint 
resolution.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the joint 
resolution be read a third time and passed, the preamble be agreed to, 
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening 
action or debate, and that any statements related to the measure be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The joint resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 25

       Whereas the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia, and the District of Columbia entered into the 
     Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact in 
     1960 with the consent of Congress in Public Law No. 86-794, 
     74 Stat. 1031;
       Whereas the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia, and the District of Columbia amended titles I and 
     II of the Compact in 1962 and 1990 with the consent of 
     Congress in Public Law No. 87-767, 76 Stat. 764, and Public 
     Law No. 101-505, 104 Stat. 1300, respectively;
       Whereas legislation enacted by the State of Maryland (2008 
     Md. Laws c. 32 and 2009 Md. Laws c. 76) the Commonwealth of 
     Virginia (2007 Va. Acts c. 378 and 2009 Va. Acts c. 540) and 
     the District of Columbia (D.C. Act 17-622) contain amendments 
     to article III of title I of the Compact regarding 
     appointment of members to the Washington Metropolitan Area 
     Transit Commission; and
       Whereas the consent of Congress is required in order to 
     implement such amendments: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO COMPACT AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Consent.--Consent of Congress is given to the 
     amendments of the State of Maryland, the amendments of the 
     Commonwealth of Virginia, and the amendments of the District 
     of Columbia to article III of title I of the Washington 
     Metropolitan Area Transit Regulation Compact.
       (b) Amendments.--The amendments referred to in subsection 
     (a) are substantially as follows:
       (1) Section 1(a) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(a) The Commission shall be composed of 3 members, 1 
     member appointed by the Governor of Virginia from the 
     Department of Motor Vehicles of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 
     1 member appointed by the Governor of Maryland from the 
     Maryland Public Service Commission, and 1 member appointed by 
     the Mayor of the District of Columbia from a District of 
     Columbia agency with oversight of matters relating to the 
     Commission.''.
       (2) Section 1 is amended by inserting at the end the 
     following:
       ``(d) An amendment to section 1(a) of this article shall 
     not affect any member in office on the amendment's effective 
     date.''.

     SEC. 2. RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL.

       The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is expressly 
     reserved.

     SEC. 3. CONSTRUCTION AND SEVERABILITY.

       It is intended that the provisions of this compact shall be 
     reasonably and liberally construed to effectuate the purposes 
     thereof. If any part or application of this compact, or 
     legislation enabling the compact, is held invalid, the 
     remainder of the compact or its application to other 
     situations or persons shall not be affected.

     SEC. 4. INCONSISTENCY OF LANGUAGE.

       The validity of these amendments to the compact shall not 
     be affected by any insubstantial differences in its form or 
     language as adopted by the State of Maryland, Commonwealth of 
     Virginia and District of Columbia.

     SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       This Act shall take effect on the date of enactment of this 
     Act.

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