EMERGENCY FUND.

SEC. 118. EMERGENCY FUND. Section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1952 (66 Stat. 158) is hereby amended to read as follows: “Sec. 7. There is hereby authorized an emergency fund in the amount of $30,000,000 for expenditure by the Secretary of Commerce, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal-Aid Road Act approved July 11, 1916, as amended and supplemented, after receipt of an application therefor from the highway department of any State, in the repair or reconstruction of highways and bridges on the Federal-aid highway systems, including the Interstate System, which he shall find have suffered serious damage as the result of disaster over a wide area, such as by floods, hurricanes, tidal waves, earthquakes, severe storms, landslides, or other catastrophes in any part of the United States. The appropriation of such moneys as may be necessary for the establishment of the fund in accordance with the provisions of this section and for its replenishment on an annual basis is hereby authorized: Provided, That pending the appropriation of such sum, or its replenishment, the Secretary of Commerce may expend, from existing Federal-aid highway appropriations, such sums as may be necessary for the immediate prosecution of the work herein author-70 Stat. 387ized, such appropriations to be reimbursed from the appropriation herein authorized when made: Provided further, That no expenditures shall be made hereunder with respect to any such catastrophe in any State unless an emergency has been declared by the Governor of such State and concurred in by the Secretary of Commerce: Provided further, That the Federal share payable on account of any repair or reconstruction project provided for by funds made available under this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the cost thereof: And provided further, That the funds herein authorized shall be available for use on any projects programed and approved at any time during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1956, and thereafter which meet the provisions of this section, including projects which may have been previously approved during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1956, from any other category of funds under the Federal-Aid Road Act approved July 11, 1916, as amended and supplemented.”