Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 1.djvu/625

 PUBLIC LAW 106-246^JULY 13, 2000 114 STAT. 589 is supported by substantial evidence on the record considered as a whole. (j) ATTORNEY'S AND AGENT'S FEES.— (1) IN GENERAL. —No attorney or agent, acting alone or in combination with any other attorney or agent, shall charge, demand, receive, or collect, for services rendered in connection with a claim submitted under this title, fees in excess of 10 percent of the amount of any payment on the claim. (2) VIOLATION. — An attorney or agent who violates paragraph (1) shall be fined not more than $10,000. (k) WAIVER OF REQUIREMENT FOR MATCHING FUNDS. — (1) IN GENERAL.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a State or local project that is determined by the Director to be carried out in response to the Cerro Grande fire under any Federal program that applies to an area affected by the Cerro Grande fire shall not be subject to any requirement for State or local matching funds to pay the cost of the project under the Federal program. (2) FEDERAL SHARE. —The Federal share of the costs of a project described in paragraph (1) shall be 100 percent. (1) APPLICABILITY OF DEBT COLLECTION REQUIREMENTS. —Section 3716 of title 31, United States Code, shall not apply to any payment under this title. (m) INDIAN COMPENSATION.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of an Indian tribe, a tribal entity, or a member of an Indian tribe that submits a claim under this title— (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall have no authority over, or any trust obligation regarding, any aspect of the submission of, or any payment received for, the claim; (2) the Indian tribe, tribal entity, or member of an Indian tribe shall be entitled to proceed under this title in the same manner and to the same extent as any other injured person; and (3) except with respect to land damaged by the Cerro Grande fire that is the subject of the claim, the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall have no responsibility to restore land damaged by the Cerro Grande fire. (n) REPORT. —Not later than 1 year after the date of promulga- Deadline, tion of regulations under subsection (f)(1), and annually thereafter, the Director shall submit to Congress a report that describes the claims submitted under this title during the year preceding the date of submission of the report, including, for each claim— (1) the amount claimed; (2) a brief description of the nature of the claim; (3) the status or disposition of the claim, including the amount of any payment under this title; and (4) the Comptroller General shall conduct an annual audit on the payment of all claims made under this title and shall report to the Congress on the results of this audit beginning not later than the expiration of the 1-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act. This report shall include a review of all subrogation claims for which insurance companies have been paid or are seeking payment as subrogees under this title. (o) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—

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