special planning assistance

special planning assistance Sec. 720. (a) The Secretary may, until June 30, 1975, enter into agreements with private new community developers and State land development agencies to provide financial assistance, in amounts, not exceeding two-thirds of the estimated cost of such work, for planning new community development programs, including planning work which he determines will have special value in assuring that new community development programs (1) will be fully responsive to social or environmental problems related to the public purposes of new community development, or (2) will adequately provide for, or encourage the use of, new or advanced technology in support of program objectives. (b) The Secretary shall enter into agreements under this section only with respect to new community development programs which had been approved or are being actively considered for approval, having met such initial feasibility criteria as the Secretary may have prescribed, and, in the case of private new community developers, only with respect to planning work which the Secretary determines is in excess of that which would ordinarily be needed to establish final market, financial, and engineering feasibility for programs or projects of similar size and scope not subject to the special purposes of this part. The financial assistance extended pursuant to such agreements shall be subject to such terms and conditions, which, in the case of private new community developers, may include provisions for repayment where appropriate, as the Secretary may prescribe. (c) There are authorized to be appropriated for financial assistance under this section not to exceed $5,000,000, which limit shall be increased by $5,000,000 on July 1; 1971. Any amount appropriated under this section shall remain available until expended.