A joint powers authority (JPA) is an entity permitted under the laws of some U.S. states, whereby two or more public authorities (e.g. local governments, or utility or transport districts), not necessarily located in the same state, may jointly exercise any power common to all of them.
Joint powers authorities may be used where: Joint powers authorities are particularly widely used in California (where they are permitted under Section 6502 of the Government Code),[1] but they are also found in other states.
These boards can be given any of the powers inherent in all of the participating agencies.
The term, membership, and standing orders of the board of the authority must also be specified.
Joint powers authorities receive existing powers from the creating governments; thus, they are distinct from special districts, which receive new delegations of sovereign power from the state.