Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 81.djvu/846

 81?

PUBLIC LAW 90-247-JAN. 2, 1968

[81 STAT.

" (2) the Governor of the State in which such agency is located has certified the need for disaster assistance under this section, and has given assurance of expenditure of a reasonable amount of the funds of the government of such State, or of any political subdivision thereof, for the same or similar purposes with respect to such catastrophe; and if the Commissioner determines with respect to such agency that— "(3) such agency is utilizing or will utilize all State and other financial assistance available to it for the purpose of meeting the cost of providing free public education for the children attending the schools of such agency, but as a result of such disaster it is unable to obtain sufficient funds for siich purpose and requires an amount of additional assistance equal to at least $1,000 or one-half of 1 per centum of such agency's current operating expenditures during the fiscal year preceding the one in which such disaster occurred, whichever is less, and " (4) in the case of any such major disaster to the extent that the operation of private elementary and secondary schools in the school attendance area of such local educational agency has been disrupted or impaired by such disaster, such local educational agency has made provisions for the conduct of educational programs under public auspices and administration in which children enrolled in such private elementary and secondary schools may attend and participate: Provided, That nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to authorize the making of any payment under this Act for religious worship or instruction, the Commissioner may provide to such agency the additional assistance necessary to provide free public education to the children attending the schools of such agency, upon such terms and in such amounts (subject to the provisions of this section) as the Commissioner may consider to be in the public interest. Such additional assistance may be provided for a period not greater than a five-fiscal-year period beginning with the fiscal year in which it is determined pursuant to clause (1) of this subsection that such agency suffered a disaster. The amount so provided for any fiscal year shall not exceetl the amount which the Commissioner determines to be necessary to enable such agency, with the State, local, and other Federal funds available to it for such purpose, to provide a level of education equivalent to that maintained in-the schools of such agency prior to the occurrence of such disaster, taking into account the additional costs reasonably necessary to carry out the provisions of clause (4) of this subsection. The amount, if any, so provided for the second, third, and fourth fiscal years following the fiscal year in which it is so determined that such agency has suffered a disaster shall not exceed 75 per centum, 50 per centum, and 25 per centum, respectively, of the amomit so provided for the first fiscal year following such determination. " (b) I n addition to and apart from the funds provided under subsection (a), the Commissioner is authorized to provide to such agency an amount which he determines to be necessary to replace instructional and maintenance supplies, equipment, and materials (including textbooks) destroyed or seriously damaged as a result of such disaster, to make minor repairs, and to lease or otherwise provide (other than by acquisition of land or erection of facilities) school and cafeteria facilities needed to replace temporarily such facilities which have been made unavailable as a result of the disaster. "(c) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for each fiscal year such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section. Pending such appropriation, the Commissioner may expend (without regard to subsections (a) and (e) of section 3679 of

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