PUBLIC LAW 95-18—APR. 7, 1977 (c) For the purposes of this Act, the term " Federal reclamation project" means any project constructed or funded under Federal reclamation law and specifically including projects having approved loans under the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956 (70 Stat. 1044) as amended. SEC. 4. The Secretary is hereby authorized to defer without penalty, the 1977 payments of any installment of charges including operation and maintenance costs owed to the United States by irrigators as he deems necessary because of financial hardship caused by extreme drought conditions: Provided, That any deferment shall be recovered and such recovery may be accomplished by extending the repayment period under the contracting entities' existing contracts with the United States. SEC. 5. Actions taken pursuant to this Act are in response to emergency conditions and depend for their effectiveness upon their completion prior to or during the 1977 irrigation season and, therefore, are deemed not to be major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for purposes of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (83 Stat. 852, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 4321). SEC. 6. The program established by this Act shall, to the extent practicable, be coordinated with emergency and disaster relief operations conducted by other Federal and State agencies under other provisions of law. The Secretary shall consult with the heads of such other Federal and State agencies as he deems necessary. The heads of all other Federal agencies performing relief functions under other Federal authorities are hereby authorized and directed to provide the Secretary, or his designee, such information and records as the Secretary or his designee shall deem necessary for the administration of t h i s Act. SEC. 7. Not later than March 1, 1978, the Secretary shall provide the President and the Congress with a complete report on expenditures and accomplishments under this Act. SEC. 8. (a) The Secretary is authorized to make loans to irrigators for the purposes of undertaking construction, management, conservation activities, or the acquisition and transportation of water, which can be expected to have an effect in mitigating losses and damages resulting from the 1976-1977 drought period. (b) Such loans shall be without interest with the repayment schedule to be determined by the Secretary, but loans for acquiring water under section 2 of this Act shall not exceed five years in duration. (c) The authorities conferred by this Act shall terminate on September 30, 1977. SEC. 9. There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out the water purcliase and reallocation program authorized by this Act: Provided, That 15 per centum of such appropriations shall be available for carrying out other programs authorized by this Act and for construction of emergency physical facilities under terms and conditions applying to expenditures from the emergency fund created by the Act of June 26, 1948 (62 Stat. 1052). SEC. 10, (a) Funds available to the Secretary during fiscal year 1977 for expenditure pursuant to the Act of June 26, 1948 (62 Stat. 1052), shall be available for expenditure on behalf of (1) projects financed through loans pursuant to the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956 (70 Stat. 1044) as amended, and (2) projects financed with non-Federal funds notwithstanding the provisions of the t h i r d sentence of section 46 of the Act of May 25, 1926 (44 Stat. 649, 650),
91 STAT. 37 "Federal reclamation project." 43 USC 422k. Deferred payments. 43 USC 502 note.
43 USC 502 note.
Federal and State program coordination. 43 USC 502 note.
Report to President and Congress. 43 USC 502 note. Loans. 43 USC 502 note.
Termination. Appropriation authorization. 43 USC 502 note.
Availability of funds. 43 USC 502 note.
43 USC 423e.
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