The Council of State Governments National Center for Interstate Compacts has relaunched its national database of interstate compacts. The database tracks more than 2,000 interstate compact enactments from nearly 300 different compacts which date back to the founding of the United States. In addition to compact enactment data, the database provides pertinent information regarding interstate compacts and commissions, including the compact model language and the name and website of the commission associated with the compact.
The National Center for Interstate Compacts is one of the most longstanding programs at CSG, providing technical assistance in the development of numerous interstate compacts. In addition, the National Center for Interstate Compacts seeks to educate CSG membership and the public functions of interstate compacts.
According to CSG Chief Public Policy Officer Shawn Jurgensen, the National Center for Interstate Compacts Database will contribute to the success of CSG in the field of interstate compacts and help promote innovative forms of interstate cooperation.
“Some of the greatest policy achievements in the history of the United States have been a result of interstate compacts,” said Jurgensen. “The driver’s license, metropolitan transportation systems in New York City and Washington, D.C., and numerous interstate projects on the protection of natural resources have all been developed through interstate compacts. By providing policymakers and our members with the most comprehensive database on interstate compacts available, we greatly enhance our ability to serve state leaders as they develop innovative interstate solutions. The Council of State Governments is the national leader in interstate compacts and this database will ensure we remain state government’s go-to source in this essential policy area.”
This database will be the most comprehensive collection of interstate compact data available and will allow the public to research interstate compact enactments which span 21 different policy areas and include enactments from every state as well as numerous U.S. territories and Canadian provinces.
CSG staff worked alongside Jeff Litwak, general counsel to the bi-state Columbia River Gorge Commission, adjunct professor of law at Lewis and Clark Law School and contributor to the American Bar Association’s casebook on interstate compact law, to gather information for the database.
“There are numerous resources aggregating the practice and law of interstate compacts, but they are not a substitute for CSG’s database,” said Litwak. “The database is my go-to source for compacts, where I can get copies of states’ enactments and compare them, make lists of compacts for legal briefs and send my students to start their research. The database has also been cited in several court decisions, so we know judges are finding it. It is one of the most valuable compact resources for empirical research.”
CSG invites policymakers, researchers and the public to utilize our database for their work and to gain knowledge on interstate compacts and their impact on shaping the landscape of public policy throughout the country. The National Center for Interstate Compacts hopes that the relaunch of the National Center for Interstate Compacts Database will promote new discussions around interstate compacts so we encourage those who visit the database to provide feedback on how it can better serve their needs.