Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 68 Part 1.djvu/94

 62

PUBLIC LAW 343-APR. 22, 1954

[68 ST A T.

"Article 11. The committee establislied pursuant to Article 1 of this compact may request the Civil Defense Agency of the United States Government to act as an informational and coordinating body under this compact, and representatives of such agency of the United States Government may attend meetings of such committee. "Article 12. This compact shall become operative immediately upon its ratification by anj" State as between it and any other State or States so ratifying and shall be subject to approval by Congress unless prior Congressional approval has been given. Duly authenticated copies of this compact and of such supplementary agreements as may be entered into shall, at the time of their approval, be deposited with each of the party States and with the Civil Defense Agency and other appropriate agencies of the United States Government. "Article 13. This compact shall continue in force and remain binding on each party State until the legislature or the Governor of such party State takes action to withdraw therefrom. Such action shall not be effective until 30 days after notice thereof has been sent by the Governor of the party State desiring to withdraw to the Governors of all other party States. "Article 14. This compact shall be construed to effectuate the purposes stated in Article 1 hereof. If any provision of this compact is declared unconstitutional, or the applicability thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to other persons and circumstances shall not be affected thereby."; and Whereas the District of Columbia has been requested by several of the States to enter into such compacts with such States; and Whereas the Commissioners of the District of Columbia are without authority to enter into such compacts: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the TJiiited lumwl'^*^* °' ^ ° ' ^^^^^^ of America in Congress assembled, That the Commissioners of the District of Columbia are authorized to enter into and execute on Civil- defense behalf of the District of Columbia interstate civil-defense compacts contacts. with the States, substantially in the form set forth in the preamble of this Act. The form of compact set forth in the preamble of this Act may include, in lieu of the second sentence of article 3 thereof, the following: "Each party State shall extend to the civil-defense forces of any other party State, while operating within its State limits under the terms and conditions of this compact, the same powers (except that of arrest unless specifically authorized by the receiving State), duties, rights, privileges, and immunities as are extended to the civil-defense forces of such State." SEC. 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Federal Civil Defense 5ous^app.l225i "^^^ ^f 1950, the consent of Congress is hereby granted to each comnote. pact entered into by the District of Columbia with any State pursuant to the provisions of this Act. SEC. 3. Whenever any such compact becomes operative by ratification of the parties thereto, such compact shall have the force and effect of law. SEC. 4. As used in this Act the word "State" includes the Territories and possessions of the United States and the District of Columbia and with respect to the District of Columbia the word "Governor" means the Commissioners of the District of Columbia. Approved April 22, 1954.

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