N.J. Stat. tit. 32, ch. 17

N.J. Stat. tit. 32, ch. 17
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-1 Commissioners authorized to enter into compact

1. Edmund W. Wakelee, Charles W. Baker, William Childs, Abram De Ronde and Victor H. Berman, or any three of them, together with the attorney general of the state of New Jersey, are hereby authorized as commissioners upon the part of the state of New Jersey to enter into, with the state of New York, by and through the commissioners appointed or who may be appointed under or by virtue of a law passed or to be passed by the legislature of the state of New York, and with the approval of the governors of both states, an agreement or compact in substantially the form following:

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-2 Preamble; consideration of agreement

Whereas, heretofore the states of New York and New Jersey have co-operated in the establishment and maintenance of an interstate park along the front of the Palisades in said states and in the mountainous lands in Rockland and Orange counties in the state of New York, by respectively enacting legislation creating in each state a body politic by the name and style of "commissioners of the Palisades Interstate park" , with power to acquire lands for such park, and improve and manage the same, and by respectively appointing, in practically all cases, the same persons as members of each of such state bodies politic; and Whereas, it is confidently believed that the creation, by interstate compact, of a joint corporate municipal instrumentality to hold and manage such interstate park will provide greater flexibility and harmony in the management of the park, Now, therefore, in consideration of the premises and of the mutual advantages and benefits to accrue to the peoples of the states of New York and New Jersey from this compact and in consideration of the mutual covenants of the parties hereto herein contained, the sovereign state of New York and the sovereign state of New Jersey do hereby agree as follows:

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-3 Palisades Interstate park continued; name; co-operation pledged

ARTICLE I. 1. The park or parks in the state of New York under the jurisdiction, management or control of commissioners of the Palisades Interstate park, a body politic created pursuant to chapter one hundred seventy of the laws of nineteen hundred of the state of New York (hereinafter referred to as "New York state board" ), and the park or parks in the state of New Jersey now under the jurisdiction, management or control of commissioners of the Palisades Interstate park, a body politic created pursuant to chapter eighty-seven of the laws of nineteen hundred of the state of New Jersey (hereinafter referred to as "New Jersey state board" , the New York state board and the New Jersey state board being hereinafter referred to collectively as "state boards" ), shall continue to exist and shall be maintained in the two states as an interstate park for the use of the public and for the purpose of preserving the scenic beauty of the Palisades and other lands therein. Such park shall be called "Palisades Interstate park" . The parties hereto do hereby agree to and pledge, each to the other, faithful co-operation in the future planning, improvement, development, maintenance, government and management of the park, holding in high trust for the benefit of the public the special blessings and natural advantages thereof.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-4 Palisades Interstate park commission created; corporate powers; membership; appointment; terms; vacancies; removals; expenses

ARTICLE II. 1. There is hereby created a body corporate and politic with the name and style of "Palisades Interstate park commission" (for brevity hereinafter referred to as "the commission" ) which shall be a joint corporate municipal instrumentality of both the state of New York and the state of New Jersey for the purpose of effecting the objects of this compact and which shall be deemed to be performing governmental functions of the two states in the performance of its duties hereunder. The commission shall have power to sue and be sued, to use a common seal and to make and adopt suitable by-laws. The commission shall consist of ten members, five of whom shall be citizens and residents of the state of New York and five of whom shall be citizens and residents of the state of New Jersey. For the purpose of doing business the members of the commission shall constitute a board. The present members of the two state boards shall be the first members of the commission for their respective states for the remainder of the terms for which they were respectively appointed. Each member of the commission shall be a citizen and resident of the state of which his predecessor was a citizen and each member of the commission other than the first members shall be appointed by the governor of the state of which his predecessor was a citizen, by and with the approval of the senate of such state. Each member shall take an oath of office to perform faithfully all of the duties of his office according to the best of his ability. Such oath of office may be administered by any officer of the state of which such member is a citizen who is authorized to take oaths of office of any state officer and shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state of such state. The term of office of each member other than said first members shall be five years. Each member shall hold office until his successor shall have been appointed and shall have taken his oath of office, but each term shall be deemed to commence at the end of the preceding five-year term regardless of when the incumbent is appointed or takes the oath of office. If a member shall cease to be a citizen and resident of the state for which he was appointed, he shall cease to be a member of the commission. If a member of the commission shall die, resign, be removed, refuse to act, or cease to be a citizen and resident of the state for which he was appointed, the vacancy so created shall be filled, for the unexpired term only, by the appointment of a citizen and resident of the state of which such member was a citizen by the governor thereof, by and with the approval of the senate of such state. Each member of the commission may be removed from office for neglect of duty or misconduct in office by the governor of the state of which such member is a citizen after giving such member a copy of the charges against him and an opportunity of being publicly heard in person or by counsel or both in his own defense, upon not less than ten days' notice. No member of the commission shall receive any compensation for his services as a member, but each member shall be entitled to receive his actual disbursements for his expenses in performing the duties of his office. The commission shall annually choose a president, a vice president, a treasurer and a secretary from among its members and may also appoint such other officers as it may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of this compact.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-5 Functions, jurisdiction, etc., of state boards transferred to commission; withdrawal or modification

ARTICLE III. 1. There are hereby transferred to the commission all of the functions, jurisdiction, rights, powers and duties of the respective state boards, as now prescribed by the laws of the respective states, and the same shall hereafter be exercised and performed by the commission, subject to such modifications thereof as are contained in this compact. Either the state of New York or the state of New Jersey may by law applicable to parks or park commissions generally within such state, or by law specifically applicable to the commission or to any of the parks within such state under its jurisdiction, and without the concurrence of the other state, withdraw, modify, alter or amend any of the functions, jurisdiction, rights, powers and duties transferred to the commission by this article or confer additional functions, jurisdiction, rights, powers and duties on the commission, but such action by one state shall be effective only within the territorial limits of such state. The commission shall also have such additional functions, jurisdiction, rights, powers and duties as may be conferred upon it by both states.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-6 Title to property vested in commission; commission substituted for state boards; appropriations; use of lands; legislation as to use of park and regulation of traffic

ARTICLE IV. 1. All legal and equitable title to or in any property, tangible or intangible and whether real, personal or mixed, used or held as a part of, in connection with, or for the purposes of the park or parks now under the jurisdiction, management or control of the respective state boards, or connected with the maintenance or control thereof, in so far as the same shall have heretofore been vested in either of such state boards, is hereby transferred to and vested in the commission, subject to such liens, easements, permits, life rights and other contracts relating thereto or in respect thereof as may now lawfully exist. All such legal and equitable title shall, upon the taking effect of this compact, forthwith and thereafter reside in the commission without further act or deed or transfer. 2. The commission shall succeed and shall be and hereby is substituted for each of the state boards in so far as either of them has any obligation or liability to any person, firm or corporation, has undertaken or commenced any proceeding or other business, is a party to any action, suit or proceeding (the substitution of the commission for either of the state boards in any action, suit or proceeding to be deemed to be by operation hereof without motion or order) or has issued or promulgated any orders, rules or regulations, and also in so far as, consistent with the other provisions and the purposes of this compact, the commission should be regarded as succeeding and as substituted for either of the state boards in any other respect in order that the purposes of this compact may be accomplished. The balance of all appropriations heretofore made by either state and remaining to the credit of either of the state boards, to which either state board is entitled, or in the future would become entitled if its existence continued, shall be deemed to be appropriations to the commission herein created, and the commission shall, upon the taking effect of this compact, succeed to all the rights to any such appropriations theretofore made with the same force and effect as if the commission had originally been specifically named in the respective appropriation acts instead of the respective state boards for which such appropriations were made. 3. All lands the title to which is hereby transferred to or shall hereafter be owned by the commission shall be and continue under the jurisdiction of the commission and shall be used only for public park purposes and none of said lands or any part thereof shall be sold, exchanged or conveyed except with the consent of both states by specific enactments; provided, however, that the commission shall have power to grant easements, licenses, permits and other rights over any lands held by it in either state when in the opinion of the commission the same will not interfere with the use and enjoyment of the park by the public. 4. Each state may by legislation make rules and regulations for the use and government, including regulation of traffic, of such portions of the park as lie within the boundaries of the state, and such parts of any state, county or other public highways as lie within the limits of such portions of the park, and all lands, parks and parkways in the state under the jurisdiction of the commission, prescribe the penalty or penalties for violation of any such rules or regulations, prescribe the procedure for enforcement of any such penalty or penalties and provide the court or courts in which any such enforcement is to be sought.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-7 Gifts, bequests or devises; use of revenue and income; reports and estimates

ARTICLE V. 1. All money, securities and other property, real and personal, heretofore received by either of the state boards or hereafter received by the commission by way of gift, bequest or devise, may be retained by the commission and, except in so far as the purpose or manner of using the same is otherwise specifically designated or restricted by the terms of any such gift, bequest or devise, may be used in the commission's discretion in either state for any park purpose; and the commission may likewise retain and use all revenue and income arising solely from such money, securities and other property so received by way of gift, bequest or devise or from facilities or operations financed solely by funds so received. In the case of revenue and income arising partly from specific property received by way of gift, bequest or devise or from specific facilities or operations financed partly by funds so received, the commission may likewise retain and use such proportion of such revenue and income as the amount of gifts, bequests or devises, or the proceeds thereof, invested in each such property, facility or operation, bears to the total amount invested therein. The legislature of either state may from time to time by law specifically made applicable to the commission prescribe other terms and conditions upon which or purposes for which any gifts, bequests or devises thereafter made of money, securities or other property may be accepted for use in such state or used in such state or prescribe a different manner of administering gifts, bequests or devises thereafter made in such state and the disposition of all revenues or income arising therefrom. 2. Either state may from time to time by law require the commission to render to any designated official or official body of such state such reports and such estimates of revenues and expenditures as may be specified in such law.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-8 Pledging credit of state

ARTICLE VI. 1. The commission shall not pledge the credit of either state except by and with the authority of the legislature thereof.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-9 Liability for torts

ARTICLE VII. 1. Neither the state of New York nor the state of New Jersey shall be liable for any torts of the commission, its members, officers or employees, except as provided by the laws of such state, but each member, officer and employee of the commission shall, with respect to any tort committed by him in the exercise of his duties or in the course of his employment as such member, officer or employee, be deemed to be an officer or employee of the state where such tort was committed, and any liability arising from such tort shall be governed by the laws of such state.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-10 Amendment of compact; jurat

ARTICLE VIII. 1. This compact may be amended from time to time by the concurrent action of the two states who are parties hereto. In witness whereof, the sovereign states of New York and New Jersey, respectively, have caused this compact to be signed and sealed in triplicate by their respective commissioners thereunto duly authorized this day of , nineteen hundred thirty- . L.1937, c. 148, s. 1, pp. 364 to 371.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-11 Filling vacancies

If by death, resignation or otherwise, a vacancy occurs among those appointed hereunder as commissioners to enter into the aforesaid compact upon behalf of the state of New Jersey, the governor is hereby authorized to fill such vacancy. L.1937, c. 148, s. 2, p. 372.

N.J. Stat. § 32:17-12 Consent of congress; effect of compact; filing copy

The said agreement or compact, when signed and sealed by the commissioners of each state and by the governors of the respective states as hereinbefore provided, shall be presented by said commissioners to the congress of the United States for its consent and approval, and when such consent and approval have been given, said agreement or compact shall become binding upon the state of New Jersey and thereupon the commission therein created shall be and become vested with all property and rights in or to property transferred to and vested in said commission by the terms of said agreement or compact, together with all other rights, powers, duties and obligations provided for therein. As soon as practicable after obtaining the consent and approval of the congress of the United States thereto, an original copy of said agreement or compact shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state of the state of New Jersey by the commissioners named in section one hereof. L.1937, c. 148, s. 3, p. 372.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

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