(a) A regional planning commission may be created at any time by the act of the voters or the legislative body of each of a number of contiguous municipalities, upon the written approval of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Approval of a designated region shall be based on whether the municipalities involved constitute a logical geographic and a coherent socioeconomic planning area. All municipalities within a designated region shall be considered members of the regional planning commission. For the purpose of a regional planning commission's carrying out its duties and functions under State law, such a designated region shall be considered a political subdivision of the State.

(b) Two or more existing regional planning commissions may be merged to form a single commission by act of the legislative bodies in a majority of the municipalities in each of the merging regions.

(c) A municipality may move from one regional planning commission to another regional planning commission on terms and conditions approved by the Secretary of Commerce and Community Development. (Added 1967, No. 334 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. March 23, 1968; amended 1971, No. 257 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. April 11, 1972; 1981, No. 132 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 1987, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 19, eff. July 1, 1989; 1995, No. 190 (Adj. Sess.), § 1(a); 2009, No. 146 (Adj. Sess.), § G5, eff. June 1, 2010; 2009, No. 156 (Adj. Sess.), § F.11, eff. June 3, 2010; 2013, No. 36, § 3.)