Il Acr or Aucust 18, 1978 (Puuric Law 95-248) * ™ + * * = * Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated for expenditure after October 1, 1978, not more than $12,000,000 plus or minus such amounts, if any, as may be justified by reason of ordinary fhictuations in construction costs from October 1978 price levels as indicated by engineering costs indexes applicable to the types of con- struction involved, to assist in the acquisition and construction of a powerplant for the Northern Mariana Islands together with upgrad- ing, rehabilitation, or replacement of distribution facilities. (b) (1) The government of the Northern Marianas in carrying out the purposes of this Act, Public Law 95-134, or Public Law 04-241, mayutilize, to the extent practicable, the available services and facilities of agencies and instrumentalities of the Federal Government on a reimbursable basis. Such amounts maybe credited to the appropriation or fund which providedthe services and facilities. Agencies and instrumentalities of the Federal Government may, when practicable, make available to the government of the Northern Marianas, upon reqnest of the Secretary, such services and fuetlities as they are equipped to renderor furnish, and they mury do so without retmbursement 1f otherwise authorized by law. (2) Any funds made available to the Northern Mariana Islands under grant-in-aid programs by section 502 of the Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union With the United States of America (Public Law 91241), or pursuant to any other Act of Congress enacted after March 24, 1976, are hereby authorized to remain availuble until expended. (3) Any amount authorized by the Covenant desertbed in paragraph (2) or by any other Act of Congress enacted after March 24, 1976, which authorizes appropriations for the Northern Mariana Islands, but not appropriated for a fiscal year is authorized to be available for appropriation in succeeding fiscal years. (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of the Food Stamp .Act of 1977, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized, upon the request of the Government of the Northern Mariana Islands, acting pursuant to Jegislation enacted in accordance with sections 5 and 7 of article I of the Constitution of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for the period during which such legislation is effective, (1) to implement a food stamp programin part or all of the Northern Mariana Islands with such income and household standards of chligibility, deductions, and allotment values as the Seeretary determines, after consultation with the Governor, to be suited to the economic and social circumstances of such islands: Provided, That in no eventshall such income stuudards of eligibility exceed those in the forty-cight contiguous States, and (2) to distribute or permit a distribution of federally donated foods in any part of the Northern Mariana Islands for which tho Governor has not requested that the food stamp program be implemented. This authority shall renmain in effect threugh September 30, 1981, and shall not apply to section 403 of Public Law95-135. (d) The Sceretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed, upon the request of the Governor of the Northern Mariana Islands,