Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 3.djvu/836

 94 STAT. 3480 Waiver.

Congressional notification.

Effective date. Appropriation authorization. Politicial unification of insular areas. 48 USC 1681 note.

20 USC 3191.

20 USC 3222. Energy resources. 48 USC 1492.

PUBLIC LAW 96-597—DEC. 24, 1980

Pacific Islands, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa (hereinafter called the territories). Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to waive or modify any statutory requirements relating to the provision of assistance under such programs when he deems it necessary in order to adapt the programs to the needs of the respective territory: Provided, That not less than sixty days prior to extending any program pursuant to this section or waiving or modifying any statutory requirement pursuant to this section, the Secretary of Agriculture shall notify the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate of his proposed action together with an explanation of why his action is necessary and the anticipated benefits to each territory affected. Such programs shall be carried out in cooperation with the respective governments of the territories and shall be covered by a memorandum of understanding between the respective territorial government and the Department of Agriculture. Any sums appropriated pursuant to this paragraph shall be allocated to the agencies of the Department of Agriculture concerned with the administration of programs in the territories. (d) Effective October 1, 1981, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. SEC. 602. In the event that a political union is effected at a future time between the Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federal Government and each of its agencies is authorized and directed to assure that— (i) there will be no diminution of any rights or entitlements otherwise eligible to said territory and Commonwealth in effect on the effective date of such union, (ii) there will be no adverse effect on any funds which have been or may hereafter be authorized or appropriated for said territory or Commonwealth, as of the effective date of such union, or (iii) no action is taken that would in any manner discourage such unification. Whenever any discrepancy exists or arises between the benefits available for either said territory or Commonwealth under any policies or programs authorized by law (including, but not limited to, any formulas for matching grants-in-aid or comparable programs or benefits), the most favorable terms available to either said territory or Commonwealth shall be deemed applicable to said unified area after the effective date of unification. SEC. 603. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, funds appropriated under the Emergency School Aid Act for fiscal year 1980 which are available for use in American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Virgin Islands shall be available in such areas for the purposes set forth in section 702 of the Emergency School Aid Act as such section was in effect immediately before September 30, 1979. SEC. 604. (a) The Congress finds that— (1) the Caribbean and Pacific insular areas of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau are virtually completely dependent on imported sources of energy;

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