In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, an interstate compact is a pact or agreement between two or more

states State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

, or between states and any foreign sub-national government.

Description

Most early interstate compacts resolved boundary disputes, but since the early 20th century, compacts have increasingly been used as a tool of state cooperation and mutual recognition on infrastructure, services and professional licensing, often to ease administrative barriers and reduce costs and litigation. In some cases, an agreement will create a new multi-state governmental agency which is responsible for administering or improving some shared resource such as a

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manc ...

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...

infrastructure. Compacts may also be limited to a certain multi-state region, may be open to all states and insular areas, or may be open to subnational governments in other countries. Interstate compacts are distinct from, but may involve aspects of, the following: *

Model acts A model act, also called a model law or a piece of model legislation, is a suggested example for a law, drafted centrally to be disseminated and suggested for enactment in multiple independent legislatures. The motivation classically has been the ...

, which are proposed

statute A statute is a law or formal written enactment of a legislature. Statutes typically declare, command or prohibit something. Statutes are distinguished from court law and unwritten law (also known as common law) in that they are the expressed wil ...

s produced by non-governmental bodies of legal experts to be passed by state legislatures independently, rather than constituting an agreement among multiple states; * executive agreements between governors or statewide executive officers of states, which may or may not have the backing of statute or state constitutional law; * State-level trigger laws which provide for an automatic action if another one or more states, or the federal government, perform a specified action; or * State-level laws mandating, permitting or prohibiting state cooperation with another state government or the federal government regarding certain actions.

Interstate agencies

Several interstate compacts may establish multi-state agencies in order to coordinate policy between, or perform tasks on behalf of, member states. Such agencies may take the form of commissions, with at least one representative from a member state with a voting role in the commission. Alternatively, member states to a compact may opt for cooperation with a single independent non-profit organization which carries out designated tasks without government funding. Actions or rules changes taken by commissions or non-profits may require ratification by the member states to take effect, depending often on whether such actions may alter the terms of the compact.

Legal background

The Compact Clause ( Article I, Section 10, Clause 3) of the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

provides that "No State shall, without the Consent of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

,... enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power,..." However, in a report released in October 2019 about the proposed

National Popular Vote Interstate Compact MD, NJ, IL, HI, WA, MA, DC, VT, CA, RI, NY, CT, CO, DE, NM, OR, MN, ME AZ, KS, PA, SC, VA, TX, MT The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) is an agreement among a group of U.S. states and the District of Columbia to award all t ...

, the

Congressional Research Service The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a public policy research institute of the United States Congress. Operating within the Library of Congress, it works primarily and directly for members of Congress and their committees and staff on a ...

(CRS) cited the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

's ruling in '' Virginia v. Tennessee'' (1893)—reaffirmed in '' U.S. Steel Corp. v. Multistate Tax Commission'' (1978) and '' Cuyler v. Adams'' (1981)—that ruled that explicit congressional consent of interstate compacts is not required for agreements "which the United States can have no possible objection or have any interest in interfering with" (in addition to ruling that the words "agreement" and "compact" used in the Compact Clause are synonyms). Instead, the Court required explicit congressional consent for interstate compacts that are "directed to the formation of any combination tending to the increase of political power in the States, which may encroach upon or interfere with the just supremacy of the United States"—meaning where the vertical balance of power between the federal government and state governments is altered in favor of state governments, while the report references ''U.S. Steel Corp. v. Multistate Tax Commission'' as stating that the "pertinent inquiry ith respect to the Compact Clauseis one of potential, rather than actual, impact on federal supremacy" in noting that the potential erosion of an

enumerated power The enumerated powers (also called expressed powers, explicit powers or delegated powers) of the United States Congress are the powers granted to the federal government of the United States by the United States Constitution. Most of these powers ar ...

of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

by an interstate compact can arguably require explicit congressional approval. The CRS report cites the Supreme Court's rulings in '' Florida v. Georgia'' (1855) and in '' Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado'' (2018) as recognizing that explicit congressional consent is also required for interstate compacts that alter the horizontal balance of power amongst state governments. Citing ''

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority v. Citizens for Abatement of Aircraft Noise, Inc. ''Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority v. Citizens for Abatement of Aircraft Noise, Inc.'', 501 U.S. 252 (1991), was a decision of the Supreme Court of the United States on the United States Constitution's separation of powers doctrine. Th ...

'' (1991) as stating that if an enumerated power under the Constitution is legislative, then "Congress must exercise it in conformity with the

bicameralism Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate ...

and presentment requirements of Article I, Section VII", and noting that the Republican River Compact was initially

vetoed A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president (government title), president or monarch vetoes a bill (law), bill to stop it from becoming statutory law, law. In many countries, veto powe ...

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

in 1942, the CRS report states that if an interstate compact requires explicit congressional approval, it must be approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President in order to become law. In ''Cuyler v. Adams'', the Court held that congressional approval of interstate compacts makes them

federal law Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a country. A federal government is formed when a country has a central government as well as regional governments, such as subnational states or provinces, each with constituti ...

s. The CRS report cites the Court's opinions in ''Virginia v. Tennessee'' and '' Northeast Bancorp v. Federal Reserve Board of Governors'' (1985) as stating that any agreement between two or more states that "cover all stipulations affecting the conduct or claims of the parties", prohibits members from "modify ngor repeal ng he agreementunilaterally", and requires "'reciprocation' of mutual obligations" constitutes an interstate compact. Additionally, the CRS report cites the Court's opinion in ''Northeast Bancorp'' as suggesting that a requirement of a new interstate governmental entity is a

sufficient condition In logic and mathematics, necessity and sufficiency are terms used to describe a conditional or implicational relationship between two statements. For example, in the conditional statement: "If then ", is necessary for , because the truth of ...

for an agreement to qualify as being an interstate compact under the Compact Clause. The CRS report stated that there were approximately 200 interstate compacts in effect in 2019. The timing for Congressional consent is not specified by the Constitution, so consent may be given either before or after the states have agreed to a particular compact. The consent may be explicit, but it may also be inferred from circumstances. Congress may also impose conditions as part of its approval of a compact. Congress must explicitly approve any compact that would give a state power that is otherwise designated to the

federal government A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...

History

Treaties between the states, ratified under the

Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first Constitution, frame of government during the Ameri ...

during the period after

American independence The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American Revolutionary War ...

in 1776 until the current U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1789, are grandfathered and treated as interstate compacts. This includes agreements like the

Treaty of Beaufort The Treaty of Beaufort, also called the Beaufort Convention, is the treaty that originally set the all-river boundary between the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. It was named for Beaufort, South Carolina, where it was signed in 1787. ...

, which set the boundary between

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

in 1787, and is still in effect. Prior to 1922, most interstate compacts were either border agreements between states or advisory compacts, the latter of which are tasked with conducting joint studies to report back to the respective state legislatures. With the creation of the

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, (PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ) is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate c ...

in 1922, administrative compacts began to develop as a third, more-empowered type of interstate compact, in which persistent governance structures are tasked by member states with conducting designated services. Today, Virginia is a member of the most interstate compacts at 40, while Hawaii is a member of the fewest at 15.

List of operating agencies created by interstate compact

Borders and land/water administration

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is a commission of U.S. states formed to coordinate and manage fishery resources—including marine ( saltwater) fish, shellfish, and anadromous fish ( migratory fish that ascended rivers f ...

(

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, and

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

) *Bear River Commission (Idaho, Utah and Wyoming) *

Breaks Interstate Park Breaks Interstate Park, also known as "the Breaks," is a bi-state state park located partly in southeastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia in the Jefferson National Forest, at the northeastern terminus of Pine Mountain. The land is manage ...

Commission (

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

and

) *

Colorado River Compact The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement that regulates water distribution among seven states in the Southwestern United States. The contract is about the area within the drainage basin of the Colorado River. The agreement, originally pr ...

(

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

)Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948
U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 1948 *

Columbia River Gorge Commission Columbia most often refers to: * Columbia (personification), the historical personification of the United States * Columbia University, a private university in New York City * Columbia Pictures, an American film studio owned by Sony Pictures * Co ...

(

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

and

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

) * Connecticut River Valley Flood Control Commission (

, and

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

) *

Delaware River Basin Commission The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is a United States government agency created in 1961 by an interstate compact, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy, between four states (Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York (state ...

(

, and

) *

Delaware River Port Authority The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), officially the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a bi-state agency instrumentality created by a congressionally approved interstate compact between the state governments ...

(

and

) *

Delaware River and Bay Authority The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) is a bi-state government agency of the United States, U.S. states of Delaware and New Jersey established by an interstate compact in 1962. The authority operates the Delaware Memorial Bridge, Delaw ...

(

and

) *

Great Lakes Commission The Great Lakes Commission is a United States interstate agency established in 1955 through the Great Lakes Basin Compact, in order to "promote the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water resources of ...

(

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, and

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

, plus

Canadian provinces Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North America—New Brunswick, N ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

as associate members) * Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, and

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

) *

Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin The 'Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin(ICPRB) is an agency composed of commissioners representing the federal government, the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The ICPRB mission ...

(

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

, and

District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

) *

Interstate Environmental Commission The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

(

and

) * Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (all states)
NEIWPCC (originally called the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission)
(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont) * Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

, and

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

) *

Palisades Interstate Park Commission The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) was formed in 1900 by Governors Theodore Roosevelt of New York and Foster Voorhees of New Jersey in response to the quarrying operations along the Palisades Cliffs of New Jersey. The Palisades, a N ...

(

and

) *

Red River Compact Commission The Red River Compact was signed by the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas to avoid disputes over the waters of the Red River in 1978, although Congress had authorized the compact in 1955. The Red River Compact Commission has nine ...

(

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

and

) *

Susquehanna River Basin Commission The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) is a federal-interstate compact commission created by the Susquehanna River Basin Compact (Pub. L. 91-575) between three U.S. states: (Pennsylvania, New York (state), New York, and Maryland), and the fe ...

(

, and

) * Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (

and

) *Interstate Mining Compact (24 states)

Transportation

Bi-State Development Agency The Bi-State Development Agency is an interstate compact established between Missouri and Illinois in 1949. This compact created an organization that has broad powers in seven county-level jurisdictions (St. Louis City, St. Louis, St. Charles and Je ...

(

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

and

) *

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional public transit agency that operates transit services in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA provides rapid transit servic ...

(

, and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

) * Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission (

, and

) *

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) is a public transit agency in metropolitan Kansas City. It operates the Metro Area Express (MAX) bus rapid transit service in Kansas City, Missouri, and 78 local bus routes in seven counti ...

(

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

and

) *

Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern c ...

(

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

) *

(

and

) * Virginia-North Carolina High Speed Rail Compact (

and

) *

Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is a bistate, public agency that maintains and operates river crossings connecting the U.S. states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The agency's jurisdiction stretches roughly along the D ...

(

and

)

Health and emergency

Nurse Licensure Compact The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is an agreement that allows mutual recognition (reciprocity) of a nursing license between member U.S. states (" compact states"). Enacted into law by the participating states, the NLC allows a nurse who is a legal ...

(33 states) *

Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate CompAct The United States EMS Compact, officially known as the Recognition of EMS Personnel Licensure Interstate CompAct (REPLICA), is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the day-to-day practice of emergency medical services personnel across sta ...

(REPLICA, or EMS Compact; 20 states) * Western States Pact (

) * Eastern States Multi-state Council (

) * Midwest Governors Regional Pact (

) *

Emergency Management Assistance Compact The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) is a mutual aid agreement among states and territories of the United States. It enables states to share resources during natural and man-made disasters, including terrorism. EMAC complements ...

(all states, plus

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

, and

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

) *

Health Care Compact The Health Care Compact is a proposed interstate compact – which is simply an agreement between two or more US states that is consented to by the United States Congress – that places authority and responsibility for healthcare regulation to the ...

Interstate Civil Defense and Disaster Compact The Interstate Civil Defense and Disaster Compact is an interstate compact that established a system for administering disaster response and defense aid. It originally included 22 states and the District of Columbia, but some states have since rep ...

Social Work Licensure Compact Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...

(

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

) *Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Compact (Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah) *Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont) *Physical Therapy Compact (PT License; 30 states) *Psychological Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT; 40 states, including

Northern Mariana Islands The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territory and Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), commonwealth of the United States consistin ...

and D.C.) *Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC; 32 states and Guam) *Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Compact (ALSPCompact; 32 states) *Occupational Therapy Compact (OT Compact; 30 states) *Counseling Compact (36 states)

Economic development

* Appalachian Region Interstate Compact (Virginia, West Virginia) * Pacific Northwest Economic Region (States of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, with the Canadian jurisdictions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Northwest Territories) * Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Horse Racing with Pari-Mutuel Wagering (15 states) * Southern Growth Policies Compact (12 states)

Education

* Rivendell Interstate School District (New Hampshire, Vermont) *

Dresden School District The Dresden School District is the first interstate school district in the United States. It operates the Francis C. Richmond Middle School and Hanover High School in Hanover, New Hampshire. The district is part of the New Hampshire's School ...

(New Hampshire, Vermont) *

Education Commission of the States The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a nonprofit that tracks educational policy. It is led by over 300 appointed commissioners from across the United States. ECS was founded as a result of the creation of the Compact for Education, an i ...

(all states xcept Washington State three territories; and

) *

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education is a nonpartisan, regional interstate higher education compact and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Boulder, Colorado. The WICHE region consists of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colo ...

New England Board of Higher Education The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) is an interstate compact founded in 1955 by six New England governors. The NEBHE was approved by New England’s six state legislatures and authorized by the U.S. Congress. NEBHE serves the six ...

Energy

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced "Reggie") is the first mandatory market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States. RGGI is a cooperative effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, ...

(

, and

) * Northwest Power and Conservation Council (

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, and

) *

Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission The Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC),< formerly the Interstate Oil Compact Commission, is a

United States

...

* Southern States Energy Compact (18 states) * Appalachian States Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia) *

Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact The Central Interstate Low Level Radioactive Waste Compact is made up of the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The compact was established by the "Compact Law" and the "Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments of the 1985." ...

(Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma) * Central Midwest Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact (Illinois, Kentucky) * Midwest Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact (Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin) * Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact (Atlantic Compact; Connecticut, New Jersey, South Carolina) * Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management (Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming) * Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact * Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact * Southwestern Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact * Texas Low Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact * Western Interstate Nuclear Compact (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming)

Other

Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is a contract among all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands providing for protection and support services for children moved between U.S. states for birth paren ...

(all 50 states) *Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (all states, and the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and superv ...

in an ex-officio, non-voting role) *

Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...

(all states, two territories, and Washington, D.C.) *

Driver License Compact The Driver License Compact is an agreement between states in the United States of America. The compact is used to exchange data between motorist's home state and a state where the motorist incurred a vehicular violation. Not all states are members ...

(all states except

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

, and

) * Electronic Registration Information Center (32 states and

) *

Multistate Tax Commission The Multistate Tax Commission (MTC) is an interstate instrumentality located in the United States. It is the executive agency charged with administering thMultistate Tax Compact(1967). As of 2021, the District of Columbia and all 50 states except f ...

(all states except Delaware, Nevada, and Virginia) *Interstate Compact on Industrialized/Modular Buildings (Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota, Rhode Island) *Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact (45 states and D.C.) *Interstate Insurance Receivership Compact (Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska)

Non-operating interstate compacts

With at least one state

, which will not take effect until additional states join the compact to send all their electors to the

electoral college An electoral college is a body whose task is to elect a candidate to a particular office. It is mostly used in the political context for a constitutional body that appoints the head of state or government, and sometimes the upper parliament ...

based on the results of the popular vote. Currently joined by 17 states and the District of Columbia, amounting to 209 (out of a minimum 270) Electoral College votes, as of 2025.

No longer active

* Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact, cancelled in 2001 by an act of Congress * Transportation Climate Initiative, a proposed compact among the same states as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative *

Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor (WCNYH) was a regulatory agency in the Port of New York and New Jersey in the northeast of the United States. The bi-state agency was founded in 1953 by a Congressionally authorized compact between New ...

(

and

) (Dissolved in 2023 after New Jersey withdrew from the pact)

Proposed

Phase Out Corporate Giveaways Interstate Compact The Phase Out Corporate Giveaways Interstate Compact is a proposed interstate compact in the United States that would commit signatory states to ending the economic development practice of providing targeted subsidies, tax abatements and other form ...

, proposed compact that would commit signatory states to ending the

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

practice of providing targeted

subsidies A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acce ...

, tax abatements and other forms of financial

incentives In general, incentives are anything that persuade a person or organization to alter their behavior to produce the desired outcome. The laws of economists and of behavior state that higher incentives amount to greater levels of effort and therefo ...

to private companies *Potomac Compact for Fair Representation, proposed compact to mutually establish independent

redistricting commissions In the United States, a redistricting commission is a body, other than the usual state legislative bodies, established to draw electoral district boundaries. Generally the intent is to avoid gerrymandering, or at least the appearance of gerryma ...

for congressional

redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...

, initially between Virginia and Maryland.

References

Works cited

External links

National Center for Interstate Compacts (NCIC) Database

Council of State Governments The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government. Founded in 1933 by Colorado state senator Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum t ...

{{Constitution of the United States Article One of the United States Constitution United States interstate agencies

Description

Interstate agencies

Legal background

History

List of operating agencies created by interstate compact

Borders and land/water administration

Transportation

Health and emergency

Economic development

Education

Energy

Other

Non-operating interstate compacts

With at least one state

No longer active

Proposed

See also

References

Works cited

External links