HB 765 — An Act amending the act of June 25, 1931 (P.L.1352, No.332), referred to as the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Compact, providing for veto power by the Governor over certain actions; further providing for audits; and providing the Governor of each state with power to ratify or veto certain actions taken by commissioners.

Summary

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Compact

Bill Text

• Printer's No. 0789 View text Current

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This bill grants the Governor of Pennsylvania veto power over certain actions taken by commissioners of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission and modifies audit requirements.

• Article IX

  [The commission shall submit biennially to a performance audit jointly conducted by the Auditor General of Pennsylvania and the State Auditor of New Jersey, which shall include expenditures and operations of the commission. These auditors shall complete the performance audit and prepare a joint report by December 31 of every odd-numbered year, with the first audit and report to be completed by December 31, 1997. A report of those audits shall be submitted to the Governors and Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey and to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. An annual financial audit shall be conducted at the expense of the commission by an independent accounting firm in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A written report of each audit shall be submitted to the commission and shall be retained by the commission for at least five years.] → The Auditor General of Pennsylvania and the State Auditor of New Jersey shall jointly conduct annual financial and management audits of expenditures and operations of the commission and shall submit a report of those audits to the Governors and Legislatures of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey.

  This change simplifies the audit process by switching from biennial performance audits to annual financial and management audits.

• Section 1.1. The following apply to minutes of meetings of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission: (1) The minutes of every meeting of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission shall, as soon as possible after the meeting, be delivered by, and under the certification of, the secretary of the commission to the Governor. (2) No action taken by a Pennsylvania commissioner at the meeting may have force or effect for a period of ten (10) days, except Saturdays, Sundays and Commonwealth public holidays, after the minutes have been delivered to the Governor under this section, unless the Governor approves the minutes or any part of the minutes, in writing by reciting the action approved, within the ten-day period. This veto power may not be construed to affect the covenants contained in the bonds of the commission. (3) The Governor shall return the minutes to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, not later than the ten-day period prescribed in paragraph (2), either with or without a veto of any action recited in the minutes to have been taken by a commissioner appointed from Pennsylvania. (4) If the Governor does not return the minutes within the ten-day period, the action taken by the Pennsylvania commissioners shall have the force and effect as recited in the minutes, according to the wording of the minutes. If the Governor, within the ten-day period prescribed in paragraph (2), returns the minutes of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission with a veto against the action of that commissioner from Pennsylvania, the action of that commissioner shall be null and void and of no effect. (5) The commission shall designate an individual who shall be responsible for responding to requests from the public and the news media for information concerning the scheduling, attendance and minutes of commission meetings.

  This addition establishes a formal process for how the commission's meeting minutes are handled and introduces a veto power for the Governor over actions taken by Pennsylvania commissioners.

Action History

1. March 03, 2025

   Referred to INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND OPERATIONS, March 3, 2025

Sponsors

• Robert Freeman · Cosponsor
• Joe Ciresi · Cosponsor
• Mark M. Gillen · Cosponsor
• Joe Emrick · Primary

Subjects