Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 80 Part 1.djvu/1386

 1350

PUBLIC LAW 89-774-NOV. 6, 1966

[80 STAT.

and of the United States otherwise applicable to such transit service and persons, except that laws, rules, regulations and orders relating to inspection of equipment and facilities, safety and testing shall remain in force and effect; provided, however, that the Board may promulgate regulations for the safety of the public and employees not inconsistent with the applicable laws, rules, regulations or orders of the signatories and of the United States. . .,„, ........j "Tax Exemption "78. I t is hereby declared that the creation of the Authority and the carrying out of the corporate purposes of the Authority is in all respects for the benefit of the people of the signatory states and is for a public purpose and that the Authority and the Board will be performing an essential governmental function, inchidin^, without limitation, proprietary, governmental and other functions, m the exercise of the powers conferred by this Title. Accordingly, the Authority and the Board shall not be required to pay taxes or assessments upon any of the property acquired by it or under its jurisdiction, control, possession or supervision or upon its activities in the operation and maintenance of any transit facilities or upon any revenues therefrom and the property and income derived therefrom shall be exempt from all federal. State, District of Columbia, municipal and local taxation. This exemption shall include, without limitation, all motor vehicle 1 icense fees, sales taxes and motor fuel taxes. "Free Transportation and School Fares "79. All laws of the signatories with respect to free transportation and school fares shall be applicable to transit service rendered by facilities owned or controlled by the Authority. "Liability for Contracts and Torts "80. The Authority shall be liable for its contracts and for its torts and those of its Directors, officers, employees and agent committed in the conduct of any proprietary function, m accordance with the law of the applicable signatory (including rules on conflict of laws), but shall not be liable for any torts occurring in the performance of a governmental function. The exclusive remedy for such breach of contracts and torts for which the Authority shall be liable, as herein provided, shall be by suit against the Authority. Nothing contained in this Title shall be construed as a waiver by the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia and the counties and cities within the Zone of any immunity from suit. "Jurisdiction of Courts

63llT\oT'' 06 b t a t. 1 0 1.

"81. The United States District Courts shall have original jurisdiction, concurrent with the Courts of Maryland and Virginia, of all actions brought by or against the Authority and to enforce subpoenas issued under this Title. Any such action initiated in a State Court shall be removable to the appropriate United States District Court in the manner provided by Act of June 25, 1948, as amended (28 U.S.C.1446). '

///->(

1

,•

Condemnation "82. (a) The Authority shall have the power to acquire by condemnation, whenever in its opinion it is necessary or advantageous to the Authority to do so, any real or personal property, or any in-

�