97 STAT. 470 PUBLIC LAW 98-78 —AUG. 15, 1983 93 Stat. 1320. Panama Canal Commission, pay increase. FAA personnel, dependents' school expenses. 20 USC 241 note. Mass transit fare for elderly and handicapped. disbursed pursuant to terms and conditions established by Public Law 96-184 and the Initial Bond Repayment Participation Agree- ment. TITLE III—GENERAL PROVISIONS SEC. 301. During the current fiscal year applicable appropriations to the Department of Transportation shall be available for mainte- nance and operation of aircraft; hire of passenger motor vehicles and aircraft; purchase of liability insurance for motor vehicles operating in foreign countries on official departmental business; and uniforms, or allowances therefor, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901-5902). SEC. 302. Funds appropriated for the Panama Canal Commission may be apportioned notwithstanding section 3679 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (31 U.S.C. 1341), to the extent necessary to permit payment of such pay increases for officers or employees as may be authorized by administrative action pursuant to law which are not in excess of statutory increases granted for the same period in corresponding rates of compensation for other employees of the Government in comparable positions. SEC. 303. Funds appropriated under this Act for expenditures by the Federal Aviation Administration shall be available (1) except as otherwise authorized by the Act of September 30, 1950 (20 U.S.C. 236-244), for expenses of primary and secondary schooling for de- pendents of Federal Aviation Administration personnel stationed outside the continental United States at costs for any given area not in excess of those of the Department of Defense for the same area, when it is determined by the Secretary that the schools, if any, available in the locality are unable to provide adequately for the education of such dependents and (2) for transportation of said dependents between schools serving the area which they attend and their places of residence when the Secretary, under such regulations as may be prescribed, determines that such schools are not acces- sible by public means of transportation on a regular basis. SEC. 304. Appropriations contained in this Act for the Department of Transportation shall be available for services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the per diem rate equivalent to the rate for a GS-18. SEC. 305. None of the funds provided under this Act for Formula grants shall be made available to support mass transit facilities, equipment, or operating expenses unless the applicant for such assistance has given satisfactory assurances in such manner and forms as the Secretary may require, and in accordance with such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, that the rates charged elderly and handicapped persons during nonpeak hours shall not exceed one-half of the rates generally applicable to other persons at peak hours: Provided, That the Secretary, in prescribing the terms and conditions for the provision of such assistance shall (1) permit applicants to continue the use of preferential fare systems for elderly or handicapped persons where those systems were in effect on or prior to November 26, 1974, (2) allow applicants a reasonable time to expand the coverage of operating preferential fare systems as appropriate, (3) allow applicants to continue to usc preferential fare systems incorporating the offering of a free return ride upon payment of the generally applicable full fare where any such applicant's existing fare collection system does not reasonably permit the collection of half fares, and (4) allow applicants to define
�
