§ 1539. — Financial assistance.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC1539]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 40--DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Sec. 1539. Financial assistance
(a) Processing of applications
Within 12 months after October 29, 1992, the Secretary of Commerce
shall develop and, after notice and opportunity for public comment,
promulgate regulations or guidelines to ensure that a completed
application for a grant, contract, or other financial assistance under a
nondiscretionary assistance program shall be processed and approved or
disapproved within 75 days after submission of the application to the
responsible program office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
(b) Notification of applicant
Not later than 14 days after the date on which the Secretary of
Commerce receives an application for a contract, grant, or other
financial assistance provided under a nondiscretionary assistance
program administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Secretary shall indicate in writing to the applicant
whether or not the application is complete and, if not complete, shall
specify the additional material that the applicant must provide to
complete the application.
(c) Exemption
In the case of a program for which the recipient of a grant,
contract, or other financial assistance is specified by statute to be,
or has customarily been, a State or an interstate fishery commission,
such financial assistance may be provided by the Secretary to that
recipient on a sole-source basis, notwithstanding any other provision of
law.
(d) ``Nondiscretionary assistance program'' defined
In this section, the term ``nondiscretionary assistance program''
means any program for providing financial assistance--
(1) under which the amount of funding for, and the intended
recipient of, the financial assistance is specified by Congress; or
(2) the recipients of which have customarily been a State or an
interstate fishery commission.
(Pub. L. 102-567, title IV, Sec. 404, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4292.)
