110 STAT. 3624 PUBLIC LAW 104-298—OCT. 11, 1996 42 USC 10301 note. 42 USC 10301 note. 42 USC 10301 note. Regulations. 42 USC 10301 note. (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS. — Federal participation in desalination activities may be conducted through cooperative agreements, including cost-sharing agreements, with non-Federal public utilities and State and local governmental agencies and other entities, in order to develop recommendations for Federal participation in processes and plants utilizing desalting technologies for the production of water. SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION. All information from studies sponsored or funded under authority of this Act shall be considered public information. SEC. 6. TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE. The Secretary may— (1) accept technical and administrative assistance from States and public or private agencies in connection with studies, surveys, location, construction, operation, and other work relating to the desalting of water, and (2) enter into contracts or agreements stating the purposes for which the assistance is contributed and providing for the sharing of costs between the Secretary and any such agency. SEC. 7. COST SHARING. The Federal share of the cost of a research, study, or demonstration project or a desalination development project or activity carried out under this Act shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the project or research or study activity. A Federal contribution in excess of 25 percent for a project carried out under this Act may not be made unless the Secretary determines that the project is not feasible without such increased Federal contribution. The Secretary shall prescribe appropriate procedures to implement the provisions of this section. Costs of operation, maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation of facilities funded under the authority of this Act shall be non-Federal responsibilities. SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. (a) SECTION 3.— There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 3 of this Act $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 1997 through 2002. Of these amounts, up to $1,000,000 in each fiscal year may be awarded to institutions of higher education, including United States-Mexico binational research foundations and interuniversity research programs established by the two countries, for research grants without any cost-sharing requirement. (b) SECTION 4. —There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 4 of this Act $25,000,000 for fiscal years 1997 through 2002.
�
