934 



48 



merce and upon receiving same, be eligible for funding under section 

 306, the "Administrative Grants" section. 



Essentially, then, in the present Act there is a three-year develop- 

 ment phase and then, immediately, an administrative phase. 



Experience in the states indicates that it is unrealistic to think that 

 many of the states can complete the required actions called for in their 

 program within the three-year deadline. The Committee finds that the 

 states can design a comprehensive program in three, or perhaps four, 

 years — that is, they can describe in detail what their completed pro- 

 gram will contain. It is not likely, however, that the states can accom- 

 plish, that is, fully implement the program that it has designed and 

 developed, in just three years or even four. 



Specific examples of what the Committee has found are as follows: 

 states may be able to describe, the legislative authority they need in 

 order to meet the requirements under section 306 to have an appro- 

 priate program, and to draft a bill carrying this out, but not be able 

 to enact same within the period specified. This could be because the 

 legislature meets only every two years or that the process is simply 

 too complicated to accomplish in a matter of months. 



Another example is where a state program will call on local units 

 of government to prepare their own coastal programs in accordance 

 with the state guidelines. However, one or even two years may be 

 required for these units to carry out their work. Still another example 

 would be in a state where reorganization within the executive branch 

 will be required before a program can gain approval and funding 

 under section 306. Because of the controversial nature of such reorga- 

 nizations, it is likely to require a considerable length of time to fully 

 implement. 



The solution proposed by the Committee is an interim phase between 

 section 305 (program development) and section 306 (program admin- 

 istration) which is the implementation phase. New subsection 305(h) 

 authorizes the Secretary to grant "preliminary approval" to state 

 management programs which, in their design and description, are 

 satisfactory; in other words, a state will be found to have complied 

 with the existing requirement of section 305. By specific provision, this 

 new subsection removes the new four-year limit on grants which 

 states may receive under section 305 //, and only if, they meet the 

 requirements stated in this subsection for "preliminary approval." 



The Conunittee is persuaded that granting states "preliminary ap- 

 proval," which means that the program they have put together on 

 paper is satisfactory once put into place, will provide far more en- 

 couragement to the states than a mere one-year extension of section 

 305 funding. 



Furthermore, it will permit as many as two additional years of 

 funding under section 305 after a program is developed. This is accom- 

 plished by allowing such funding through fiscal year 1979. 



The Committee feels strongly about the 1979 deadline. In removing 

 the four-year limitation for states which meet the "preliminary ap- 

 proval" criteria, the Committee has no intention of allowing states 

 to come to the Office of Coastal Zone Management year after year 

 for more funds with which to implement their program design. There- 

 fore, it should be understood that the fiscal year 1979 deadline is final. 



The reason for stating this emphatically is because the Committee 



