There is hereby created a body corporate and politic, to be known as the "Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission" (hereinafter in this agreement called the "commission"), which shall consist of the commissioners, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, provided for by the act, approved the eighth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen (Pamphlet Laws, one hundred forty-eight), and its supplements and amendments, for the acquisition of toll bridges over the Delaware River, and of commissioners, on behalf of the State of New Jersey, provided for by the act, approved the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and twelve (Chapter two hundred ninety-seven), and its supplements and amendments, for the acquisition of toll bridges over the Delaware River, which said commissions have heretofore been acting as a joint commission by virtue of reciprocal legislation.
No action of the commission 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.
In the event that any ex-officio member of the commission from Pennsylvania shall for any reason be absent from a meeting of the commission, a deputy or other person in his department designated by him for such purpose shall be authorized to act at such meeting for and in behalf of such absent member and to vote in his place on all matters which may be presented for consideration at such meeting. Such designation shall be signed by such ex-officio member and filed with the secretary of the commission and shall continue in effect until the expiration of the term of office of such member or until another designation shall be made.
In the event that any ex-officio member of the commission from New Jersey shall for any reason be absent from a meeting of the commission, a deputy or other person in the ex-officio member's department designated by the ex-officio member for such purpose shall be authorized to act at such meeting for and in behalf of such absent member and to vote in the member's place on all matters which may be presented for consideration at such meeting. Such designation shall be signed by the ex-officio member and filed with the secretary of the commission and shall continue in effect until the expiration of the term of office of such member or until another designation shall be made.
The commission shall constitute the public corporate instrumentality of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey for the following public purposes, and shall be deemed to be exercising an essential governmental function in effectuating such purposes, to wit:
(a) The administration, operation, and maintenance of the joint State-owned bridges across the Delaware River between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey, and located north of the present stone arch bridge of the Pennsylvania Railroad across the Delaware River from Morrisville to Trenton;(b) The investigation of the necessity for additional bridge communications over the Delaware River, and the making of such studies, surveys and estimates as may be necessary to determine the feasibility and cost of such additional bridge communications;(c) The preparation of plans and specifications for, and location, acquisition, construction, administration, operation and maintenance of, such additional bridge communications over the Delaware River, at any location 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, as the commission deems necessary to advance the interests of the two States and to facilitate public travel; and the issuance of bonds and obligations to provide moneys sufficient for the acquisition or construction of such bridges; and the collection of tolls, rentals, and charges for the redemption of such bonds and obligations, and the payment of interest thereon;(d) The procurement from the government of the United States of any consents which may be requisite to enable the commission to exercise any of its powers;(e) The investigation of the necessity for additional port and terminal facilities within the area (hereinafter referred to as the "district') comprising all of the territory within the counties of Bucks, Northampton, Monroe and Pike in Pennsylvania, all of the territory within the counties of Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon and Mercer in New Jersey, and that part of the territory within the county of Burlington in New Jersey north of the northerly bank of Rancocas Creek as said creek and its north branch extend in a general easterly direction from the Delaware River and through Mount Holly, Pemberton and Browns Mills and other communities to the Burlington-Ocean County boundary line in New Jersey;(f) The acquisition, construction, administration, operation and maintenance of such port and terminal facilities within the district as the commission may deem necessary to advance the interests of the two States; the issuance of bonds or other obligations of the commission to provide moneys sufficient for the acquisition or construction of such facilities; and the collection of fees, rentals, tolls and other charges for the payment of such bonds or obligations and the interest thereon, and for the administration, operation and maintenance of such facilities.Amended 1952, c.333, ss.1(1), 2-5; 1994, c.173, s.2.